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Gig Harbor, Wa

A couple wees ago, the first few leaves on my 1236 Harp main died. The rest of the plant was and is healthy so I didn't worry about it too much. Today I went to cut the leaves off and discovered that the first 3-4 feet of the main and the stump were completely rotten on the inside. The rot also went into the first 3-4 secondaries a foot or two. I cut out all of the rotten parts of the main, stump, and secondaries and hope the rest of the plant survives. I have 20+ more feet of main with a set on the end that may at least produce somthing. Any ideas about what the heck happened would be apreciated. The only thing I could come up with is that the end of my drain field is pretty close to where the stump was located and somthing could have gotten in there that killed the plant?

7/31/2011 10:33:16 PM

Bristol R.I. USA

Just my guess. Was it a foamer that wasn't detected in time leaving the opportunity for some diseases to set in

7/31/2011 10:40:36 PM

Muddy Waters

I just found the same thing on my 1592 Platte,she was humping to would have hit 500 pds today!with me I think its soil borne issues,I need to not grow kins for 2 years & work on weeds .inscects & sterilize soil & rebuild with compost & such,I have been battling this crap for 13 years on & off didnt grow for 5 years,My melons are hopefully in a better more rejunivated area,with a shallower root system may survive.knock on Wood!There was no foaming stump,but basiclly same result here,no overwatering this year either.

8/1/2011 6:53:24 AM

The bottom of New Jersey

It is most likely a bacterial soft rot, some pumpkin patches seem to get it a lot and some don't. I have been dealing with it a few years now and it doesn't seem to need wet conditions to thrive, although hot and humid weather makes it worse. It just needs an entryway into the plant, which any tiny wound or fissure can provide. At that point, you have to catch it early to get rid of it. Frequent examination of all the vines is the only way to find it, and even then it can be a sneaky you know what.

8/1/2011 9:03:56 AM

Dillsburg, PA

I had this problem a lot and now use sulfer powder directly on the stump. Now I very rarely lose the stump.

8/1/2011 9:35:42 AM

Cologne Brescia Italy

Can the foaming stump pass from year to year in the same place? I got 3 foaming last year, this year I planted 3 pumpkins in the same place, without foaming for the moment, but I got one this year in a place where last year everything was ok
Any opinion about?
Thanks
Sergio

8/6/2011 3:05:51 PM