Question
some years i have to many blooms (cucumber, cantlope,watermelon,) and they grow well just very and late developing fruits.   In such years can you trim the vines back some and will it help fruit grow insted of making more vine and blooms growth????

Answer
Hello Gary! Let me start off with a disclaimer - I have never grown cantaloupe.  I have grown cucumber and watermelon, though, so I will try to address those vines as best I can.  In general, pruning reduces yield, because it encourages plants to put more energy into already-formed fruit or flowers. But the fruit you do get will tend to be bigger.  In other words, by shortening a vine, you will sacrifice the number of fruits you will get, but you will likely increase the size of the fruits that the vine already has set. That's why a lot of people prune vines - because they want a few really big fruits (say, for competitions# instead of lots of average-sized ones.  My neighbor never prunes anything and she's happy.  Cucumbers:  You should be harvesting between 9 and 12 cucumbers per vine.  Cucumbers need to be pruned, or the fruit production will slow down.  When your vine has generated six-to-eight sets of leaves on the main stem, I suggest pinching off the end with your fingernails or a small set of pruners.  This will prompt the main stem to produce more side shoots - and there's where most of your fruit will grow.  As those side shoots produce fruit, pinch off those stems one set of leaves PAST the forming fruit; this encourages larger fruit growth.  But don't remove any flowers - as these are key for pollination!  Watermelon: These same rules generally apply to watermelon vines.  I usually let my watermelon vines (including the runners) to grow to about 8 or 10 feet long before I prune them.  This encourages the plant to devote its energy to the flowers/fruit it has already formed.  One thing that I learned (the hard way)about watermelons is to make sure I water very evenly - sudden changes in amount/frequency makes the melons split.  Of course, we can't control Mother Nature, but it's worth keeping that in mind.  Finally, pollinators #obviously) are key to fruit production, and people who live in areas with a shortage of bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects often must resort to hand-pollination, which is an artform unto itself.  Gary, I hope I have helped you.  Happy harvesting!