From

Location

Message

Date Posted

central Missouri

Please look at the photos in the gallery. Is this sclerotina? If so, at this point is it too late to treat? Would I be better off cutting off the stump? This seems like a drastic measure but I would rather cut it off than risk trying to treat with fungicide unless there is a very high probability of success. The pumpkin on this plant is my last hope for this year. I have already lost 4 of my 6 plants to disease, either bacterial wilt or phytophthora, and the pumpkin on my other remaining plant went down to a blossum end split last week. This plant is between 800 and 900 square feet, vines are buried, and the pumpkin would probably continue growing at its leisurely pace of 12 pounds/day without the stump.

8/22/2005 12:25:44 PM

central Missouri

When I checked the stump tonight the white stuff was drying up and was no longer being produced. I sprayed the area heavily with a 50% concentration of bleach and will put off severing the vine from the stump for now and see what happens.

8/23/2005 3:19:49 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

wow a 50% solution....you will be lucky if all you killed is the white stuff. 10% solution of bleach will kill almost every organism out there.

8/23/2005 4:47:33 PM

central Missouri

Thanks Linus, now that you mention it 50% does seem like a little much, I'll definitly drop down to 10%. I have seen no more signs of whatever type of fungus I had/have. I may not need to worry about whether or not to cut off the stump, the bleach might do it for me! Oh well, live and learn. This year is my first real year of growing and has been a real learning experience for me. At least half of the problems I have run into have been a result of something I did in an attempt to help the plants. As a result of everything I'm learning here this year I hope to remove myself as one of my largest obstacles to success next year. So, thanks Linus and everyone else who has helped this year.
Mark

8/26/2005 2:06:53 PM