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  • From: Allan Balliett <aballiett AT frontiernet.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Pruning cukes and melons
  • Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2007 06:45:28 -0400

Anyone doing this?

Every once in a while I hear someone mention that they pinch back their cukes right off the bag. I guess I've never heard anyone pinching off melons, but sometimes I think that maybe everyone does this but me because my yields are always low for both of these crops and I know many growers produce LOTS of both.

I ran across this in the Washington Post:

The secret to harvesting dozens and dozens of cucumbers and melons is growing short vines, but multiple shoots on which fruiting vegetables develop. You do it by pruning.

When vines have lengthened to 12-14 inches, prune a quarter-inch beyond a side shoot growing off the vine. On each vine, only a few shoots (maybe two or three) will have developed at this point, but still you must prune a bit beyond the last shoot (actually a node). Prune each and every vine at this point. Growth stops at the point of pruning, but the plant's energy is now redirected into forming more side shoots along this segment of the vine. Let's call it "section A."

New side shoots develop along this section after pruning, almost doubling the number of shoots than before you pruned. However, at the end of the first week, the vine starts growing again. When vines reach another 12-plus inches (section B), prune once more just beyond the outermost shoot (node). Over the next week, the plant's energy is focussed entirely on growing more side shoots along the 24-plus inches of the vine. Finally, vines start growing again a week later. It's doubtful vines will exceed the third section without need of pruning unless there are tropical temperatures in late September.



  • [Market-farming] Pruning cukes and melons, Allan Balliett, 06/03/2007

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