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Location

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Date Posted

Franklinton ,La.

I noticed foam coming out of the top of my watermelon stump. Any help appreciated .Thanks Louisiana Bigg Dogg

6/20/2017 5:31:36 PM

Bethlehem CT

Atlantic Giants get this all the time. This is the first I have heard of it on a melon. Has it been really wet lately? In pumpkins it usually starts when the plant is fully grown and the mature root system takes up too much water.

6/20/2017 6:49:56 PM

Franklinton ,La.

Really wet would be an understatement Big Moon. It has been raining for the last month and now a tropical storm is about to hit us bringing up to 12" or more of rainfall over a 3 day period.

6/20/2017 10:34:14 PM

Bowdon, GA

Its fairly common in melons with very large plant structure. I did an article a few years ago for the GWG news letter about foaming and rotting stumps. I don't have a copy of it anymore but Marvin might.

6/20/2017 11:01:17 PM

Bethlehem CT

Big Dogg that is a lot of water! WOW!

6/21/2017 5:49:20 AM

Eastern Shore of VA

I have a copy of the GWG newsletter, Jake.
Can send it in an email.

6/21/2017 8:46:09 AM

Eastern Shore of VA

I just had the stump on a backup plant split from too much water.
It was in a 3 gallon pot.

6/21/2017 8:47:28 AM

Franklinton ,La.

ESheel ,I would like to read it if you can e-mail me at Daryl.burnthorn@williams.com Thanks

6/21/2017 3:18:03 PM

Eastern Shore of VA

Email sent LBD.

6/21/2017 4:12:44 PM

Franklinton ,La.

Big Moon/ESheel,the foam was coming from a 1/4" hole or split in the top of the stump. Do I seal the hole or leave it open. I have a stump cover after the fact.Thanks guys !!

6/22/2017 12:22:38 AM

Eastern Shore of VA

Post a picture in your diary.
I don't know right off hand without seeing it.
The stump cover should help with the approaching storm.
What do you think John ?
Dry it out and stuff it with Captan ?

6/22/2017 6:56:27 AM

Bethlehem CT

I am not sure what to do. My guess would be to keep it dry, and clean it out. (By using a sprayer kind of like a water pick. I would prefer daconil over captan or sulfur. Daconil will dry out anything. You could even paint the outside of the stump with straight daconil. I do this on my pumpkins when I have a rot spot or exposed flesh I need to dry out. Big Dogg, the fact that you have this problem shows that you are doing a lot of things right in my opinion.
Jake, What do you recommend?

6/22/2017 7:20:08 AM

Franklinton ,La.

I will take a picture this evening after I get home from work and post to my diary .

6/22/2017 8:31:16 AM

Eastern Shore of VA

Big moon is far more experienced than I,LBD.
I made a little plug for a melon my first year that a mouse or vole started carving on.
Now,this was on the bottom side of the melon,and he had barely gotten into the rind.
I used powdered sevin dust and daconil to make a paste comparable to drywall mud and filled the spot.
It hardened something akin to a wood putty.
I think big moon is correct.

6/22/2017 10:52:21 AM

Bowdon, GA

I can feel your pain we have already passed our yearly average for rainfall. Got 8" since Tuesday with 2-3 days left.

6/22/2017 9:35:15 PM

Bowdon, GA

Most of the fight against stump problems is in the prevention. A foaming stump will rot off but the goal is to prolong it as long as possible and then have node roots going good once its gone. A melon can still gain weight with no stump, just not nearly as much.

6/22/2017 9:38:32 PM

Bowdon, GA

This is what I would do remove soil from around stump till roots are exposed. Then clean out all the soft material you can get. Spray with light bleach solution and wipe off. Then coat it with sulfer. Then put a fan on it 24-7 for the rest of the season. You can expect to repeat this every few days. It is a pain, but you can still pull off some pounds if your willing to fight it.

6/22/2017 9:44:18 PM

Bowdon, GA

John I feel sulfer is the best on melon stumps. Most powdered fungicides will dry it out, but I feel like you need an anti-bacterial too. Some people use Kocide which does both, but it will dry it out so much that it cracks deeper causing the problem to spread. Powered Pencozeb works ok too if you have some. But out off all the powders I think Sulfer works best. Maybe someone else has some ideas too.

6/22/2017 9:50:19 PM

Franklinton ,La.

I posted a picture of the stump on my growers diary. Thanks for all the help everyone.

6/23/2017 12:17:28 AM

Franklinton ,La.

Mr.Hollaway,what do you recommend covering nodes with to get rooting started on the runner the melon is on . Would you give me some steps. Thanks

6/23/2017 12:30:18 AM

Bowdon, GA

In the south you cant bury vines or they will rot. If you use cheaper fabric and the pine straw isn't to thick they will root through the fabric. You could pin them down with hot dog skewers at the nodes or make a small slit in the fabric at the nodes. I figured out this year to never buy Agri-supply fabric. I had to redo it 3 weeks later. Looked like confetti. Dollar general has the thickness I like. Keeps weeds down yet lets the nodes thru. The good stuff blocks node roots.

6/23/2017 10:50:11 PM