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Decatur, IL

I'm not growing pumpkins for various reasons this season, but just trying to improve my soil for next season. I planted buckwheat in my patch about three weeks ago. It's doing fine except for about a 10 foot diamter circle in the center of the patch. The buckwheat in this area is stunted with yellowish leaves. This is the area where I set my plants, back to back, last year. My plants did die off from a vine rot late in the season. I had some tissue samples tested which showed Fusarium.
I'd appreciate any oppinions on what might be causing the problem. Thanks, Charlie

6/10/2006 7:52:53 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

Fusaria is not a nice pathogen...not that any are but most sites say "four years fallow" as the natural cure. Crop rotation is essential to stop growth of pathogens. repeated planting of a host crop will only make the pathogen get stonger. Avoid setting any crops that vine in the area for as long as you can..tomato,string bean, cucumbers etc..Look back to your notes and see if you see anything that you might of applied to the planting holes that would enhance the emergence of the pathogen..ie nitrogen...the over application of nitrogen can cause the pathogen to accelerate it's growth...good luck with this Charlie...sometimes you may even need to sterilize the soil and reinnoculate with the good bacteria.

6/12/2006 9:12:20 AM