From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Massachusetts

Yesterday I noticed some oozing and foaming around my 2009 stump. I scraped lightly, sucked up all the liquid with kitty litter, applied sulfur and captan and put a fan on it 24/7. Also I did not water today. Things have improved quite a bit. But it seems that the treatment I applied was "local" and I'm wondering if I should give the plant a dose of systemic fungicide to complement the local treatment to help stop the spread of the problem. It would make sense to me. The plant has been given multiple doses of Daconil, Agrifos last week and a dose of Heritage a couple of weeks ago. I don't know what organism causes foaming stump but since captan is universally recommended, I assume the problem is fungal. Does this logic make sense?

7/26/2014 7:08:59 PM

Colorado

Foaming stump is a hydraulic breakdown of the tissue in the stump. Its not a fungal or bacterial infection. Usually kicks in with hot muggy weather and a plant that is deadheaded or close too it. surgery to drain the stump may help I'm no expert on that.

7/26/2014 8:55:49 PM

East Jordan, MI

Cojoe is correct, fungicide will not fix this.

We have found that once it starts leaking if we act quickly enough and cut the sides directly connected to the stump (we don't leave them on any more), put a fan on it and cover to keep rain/sprinkler water off of it we can usually save the stump.

If it keeps weeping (look for a wet spot on the ground) then you will have to cut/drill a hole at the lowest spot to let the water out. If it sits in there you will get a secondary bacterial infection.

What I do if I have to drain a stump.
Take a fillet knife, clean it with alcohol, line it up with the lowest spot on the vine and with the flat part of the blade parallel to the vine (so you will be slicing the vine along the vine not across it) push it straight through and cut about 3-5 inches in length (do as little as necessary to be able to see down inside in the next step. You will see the fluid gush out. go back to the center of the slice and gently twist the knife back and forth to make the vine separate a little. pour strong peroxide (pool store non-chlorine oxidizer is best -- the brand name is baquacil but generic is cheaper) down in there and repeat till it quits bubbling (if it is soft in there, you should open it up some more and remove the soft tissue first, a spoon works pretty good). Put a fan on it and retreat with peroxide at least once a day, two or three are better if you can do it.

good luck!

7/27/2014 9:00:08 AM

Farming- a bunch of catastrophies that result in a lifestyle

Like cojoe said, it's not bacteria or fungus that causes, but basically "back pressure" of fluid in the plant, if I got the explanation down correctly. I found cutting a 2" slice off a secondary right before the stump and at the 'end' of the plant, each morning and night helped a lot. Gave the fluid somewhere to go. The captan, sulfur, and other cleaning methods are to keep secondary infection from occurring. Your biggest thing is to give the back pressure a way out so it doesn't keep destroying the tissues in the vine. In the end, I had drilled 3 connecting holes through the stump, plus constant air. Cleaned (sometimes twice a day if needed) flushed and cleaned with hydrogen peroxide, scraped away bad tissue, bleach solution, pat dry, coated in an equal mix of 50/50 sulfur and copper powder. I didn't have captan at that point time to work with.

7/27/2014 9:06:34 AM