Pruning how? Do you mean taking off the excess fruits or actually clipping the vines of the plants?

Rodney

Hi Rodney,

I meant clipping the main vine. This is something I'm planning on doing on my jackolantern varieties after i have a couple of pumpkins on the vine to help maximize size, but unsure how or if pruning on a pie variety is helpful.

My pumpkin friend says don't do it. I talked to her about this a while ago, and she says don't prune at all if you can help it. I told her I watched a youtube video that said if you prune your pumpkins will be bigger, and she says it isn't true.

Uh oh, thanks - I think you and I are watching the same YouTube channels ;)

Do you happen to know if your friend recommends pinching off the female flowers after I have a couple growing? (I'm talking about jackolantern varieties now) I can certainly understand not pruning but thinking limiting the number of fruits still a good idea. And for pie pumpkins I guess just let them go?

Thanks!

Yeah, I have to agree that pruning the vines doesn't make sense to me if you want big pumpkins. The more leaves there are on the plant the more it can photosynthesize and the more energy the plant can put into the fruit.

Taking off the excess blossoms (which are edible) and keeping only a limited number of fruit on the vines should cause the pumpkins you leave on to get bigger.

Rodney

Thanks Rodney!

I'll be letting the vines go then and just pinching flowers at some point (going to try frying some)

A few weeks from now my husband will not doubt be thrilled his mowable lawn shrank after those unpruned vines take off ;)