Can I remove a few leaves from squash vines (where they have run into my
bush beans and are shading them) without hurting the vines? How about
cutting the growing tips out of the vines where they have run 20 to 30 feet
and are about to grow into the lawn -- and my neighbors' lawns.

Bob

zxcvbob said:

Can I remove a few leaves from squash vines (where they have run into my
bush beans and are shading them) without hurting the vines? How about
cutting the growing tips out of the vines where they have run 20 to 30 feet
and are about to grow into the lawn -- and my neighbors' lawns.

Loosing a few leaves shouldn't hurt. I never intentionally prune the tips of my
running vines, but I do attempt to turn them and run them in directions that
are safer or more convenient, or at least, slightly less inconvenient. Occasionally
the tips do get pruned off by a badly placed foot. 8^)

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)

zxcvbob wrote in message ...
Can I remove a few leaves from squash vines (where they have run into my
bush beans and are shading them) without hurting the vines? How about
cutting the growing tips out of the vines where they have run 20 to 30 feet
and are about to grow into the lawn -- and my neighbors' lawns.

I have removed many lower leaves from my pumpkin vines that I have
climbing up a trellis. I worried that the hollow leaf stems would
provide an entrance for insects and disease, but they all did fine. I
would wait until the plant has some size, but that doesn't seem to be
a problem in your case.

IC_gardener
Iowa City, Iowa
Zone 5a

If your vines are that healthy, they're not going to miss a leaf or two.
Cutting out the growing tip will only lead to 2 or more new leads to grow
out into the yard. I'd just turn the growing end of the vine around and head
it back into the garden. Make it a good curve so you don't snap or pinch the
vine. Place a rock or some other weighty item alongside the vine to hold it
in place until it knows who's boss.
Gary
"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...
Can I remove a few leaves from squash vines (where they have run into my
bush beans and are shading them) without hurting the vines? How about
cutting the growing tips out of the vines where they have run 20 to 30
feet
and are about to grow into the lawn -- and my neighbors' lawns.

Bob

V_coerulea wrote:
If your vines are that healthy, they're not going to miss a leaf or two.
Cutting out the growing tip will only lead to 2 or more new leads to grow
out into the yard. I'd just turn the growing end of the vine around and head
it back into the garden. Make it a good curve so you don't snap or pinch the
vine. Place a rock or some other weighty item alongside the vine to hold it
in place until it knows who's boss.
Gary

The three vines have about 50 ends, and I'm having trouble keeping up with
'em. :-) I'm running out of places to turn them. It's like the Hydra.
I picked my first 3 squash today, and should have another 20 by Sunday.

Bob

Bob, you should be able to cut part or all of a vine off the plant with out
hurting the rest of it, as long as it is healthy. How do you kill a squash
anyway? Are you raising winter or summer squash? I planted over 14 kinds
last year, and 10 this year, but I have never heard of a Hydra. Always
looking for a new one to try that tastes good.

Dwayne



"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...
V_coerulea wrote:
If your vines are that healthy, they're not going to miss a leaf or two.
Cutting out the growing tip will only lead to 2 or more new leads to
grow
out into the yard. I'd just turn the growing end of the vine around and
head
it back into the garden. Make it a good curve so you don't snap or pinch
the
vine. Place a rock or some other weighty item alongside the vine to hold
it
in place until it knows who's boss.
Gary

The three vines have about 50 ends, and I'm having trouble keeping up with
'em. :-) I'm running out of places to turn them. It's like the Hydra.
I picked my first 3 squash today, and should have another 20 by Sunday.

Bob

Dwayne wrote:

Bob, you should be able to cut part or all of a vine off the plant with out
hurting the rest of it, as long as it is healthy. How do you kill a squash
anyway? Are you raising winter or summer squash? I planted over 14 kinds
last year, and 10 this year, but I have never heard of a Hydra. Always
looking for a new one to try that tastes good.

Dwayne

It is a summer squash that grows on a vine that looks like a pumpkin vine.
Like a trombone squash. The squash look like little light green pumpkins.

Hydra was a mythical serpent monster with lots of heads, and if I recall
correctly when Hercules cut off a head, two immediately would grow back. I
haven't cut any yet, but the vines are branching and rerooting at almost
every node.

Bob