From

Location

Message

Date Posted

South East

Theres a tree disease called baterial wetwood and slimeflux that has simular symptoms just like our foaming stumps.

Both liquid and foam can be excreted that have a faul smell.

Its associated with water soaked areas in the plant.

The pressure forces the infected liquid into other areas of the plant( along the main vine, brownisch discolloration.)
Wich can cause wilting and die back of leafs.

The anearobic condition of wetwood prevents rotting fungi, but the pumpkin vines hold more Oxygen since there hollow and thus can rot.

Bacillus megaterium,
Enterobacter agg/omerans (syn. Erwinia herbicola), E. cloacae (syn. Erwinia
nimipressuralis), Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Klebsiella oxytoca.

These are some of the bacteria commonly found in infected elms. All of wich are found in soil and on plant surfaces.
Some of these, growers add in great quantities in the form of soil additives, innoculants and compost tea.

If that in combination with either a lot of rain or overwatering,would cause a low oxygen situation in where these bacteria could build up. Then they would ferment the carbohydrates into carbon dioxide, and other bacteria would convert this into methane. ( the bubbling)

2/28/2010 11:54:31 AM

South East

If it where to be tested, the bacteria found would be common bactera for soil and plant (bateria named above) and no pathogens would be found.

The causing bacteria are found in innoculants, are used in plant disease control, cultivated in tea, and live in our soils naturally

To make the stretch that this condition in our pumpkin plants is the same like in wetwood is not that far.
The same conditions and the same bacteria apply.

any thoughts?

2/28/2010 12:27:01 PM

Glosta

a few thoughts. E. cloacae requires 86 degrees to grow. So possibly shading the stump would help, as well as using cool water for irrigation, considering most irrigation tubes are black the water can warm up quite well.

Bacillus Magaterium grows at 77 degrees and is capable of growth in an oxygen environment. This bacteria is plentiful in the soil.

Pseudomonas fluorescens has a temperaure range or 77-86 and does not break down sugar so is not part of the fermentation process that would produce the gas and nasty smell but it does produce enzymes that can create slime.

3/6/2010 2:34:31 AM

Glosta

Klebsiella oxytoca will cause fermintation, this may be or smoking gun. with the addition of molasses to many of our plants and compost teas this bacteria has an all you can eat buffet.

An interesting find is that both K. oxytoca and Enterobacter cloacae are found in the fermentation process of sauerkraut.

now we just need to find a way to battle this problem.

3/6/2010 2:56:57 AM

Ohio

Frank, I dont know how I missed this post!,, but it definitely relates alot to Mr Foamy to a T.

Its definitely something I never heard about before. Ill try to make sure Ron reads this thread and see what his ideas are about this also. He has a article coming out in his next news letter that is very informative and a must read, but what you have mentioned here I dont think it was mentioned.

Thanks for posting this Frank!!! What are some of the ideas would you have that you would do to try to prevent this from happening?,,

I wonder if there is something that has been done on trees to prevent this bacterial wetwood and slimeflux from happening?

3/6/2010 3:36:12 AM

South East

One of the things mentioned Brooks is to cover up wounds made by pruning. Besides the moisture issue, we tend to start to prune around the stump, getting rid of leafs. Next to that little cracks might occur because of growth or minor stress. Treating these cracks and little wounds with fungicide or a mild disinfectant might prevent bacteria from entering and building up within the stump.

Next to that, causual bacteria might hitch a ride on pests, like cuc beetles or svb etc. Pest control is another way but already done.

i,d say Bryans idea of shading might be a good one. Next to that a dryer and thus less hospitable inviroment. Maybe a two or three foot dry zone of no watering around the stump.
And carefull inspection for cracks, wounds, pinholes of the stump on a day to day basis. Maybe even a every day preventitive treatment of desinfectant like some of us rub on their fruits.

The key is to prevent these causual organisms form getting in the stump. So finding every entry point and closing it from them is gonna be crucial i think. Since theirs no real cure, prevention is the way to go.

3/6/2010 9:44:09 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Borax, sulfur, captan and bleach have all been used with varying results. Tragically, despite some serious attempts we don't even know the true causal agent.

Sclerotinia white mold was my bet a couple years ago. Vinclozolin has helped a few.

3/6/2010 10:27:01 AM

Joliet, IL

i spray a 10 percent bleach solution spray on my stumps once a week from the beginning of july on whether it looks like they need it or not besides all the prevetative things that i do like the Franks mentioned above. i try to keep the 10 percent bleach solution right on the stump and use a paper towel to stop from it getting all over the soil. when the texture of the stump begins to resemble a mature stem, it becomes spongelike when wet and has many more cracks and fissures and porous areas. this is the most important time to keep them dry at all times in my opinion. i like a square white plastic patio end table with a brick on it for easy access and it works fine.

some form of yeast reaction from a bacteria is the only thing i could ever think of acausing the foam. if it comes in through the roots, then no matter what you do preventative-wise will matter unless we can identify the culprit and and find a product that eliminates it. but in the mean time, keeping the areas pruned, clean, and dry as possible and maybe 10 percent preventative bleach sprays on a regular basis will help keep the bacteria from getting hold form the outside in.

3/6/2010 3:50:14 PM

Joliet, IL

sorry, i meant the Cooks...not the Franks...lol sorry tina and frank

3/6/2010 3:51:12 PM

Summerville, SC

Frank, it's Dan Cook. Call me at Legend Oaks Golf Club if you get a chance.

10/14/2011 1:14:21 PM