Vine Rot
Base Vine Rot
Vine rot at the base of the plant is usually due to a fungal infection. There
are several things you can do to prevent it. First it helps if your seed is
initially planted in a small mound. This hold true even if the mound is only
six inches or so high and three feet in diameter. It causes the surface water
to run away so that the base area of the plant and vine are a bit dryer. When
many people first plant their plant it is helpful to put some diazinon
granules in with the plant. Mix them around a bit under the ground to prevent
all kinds of worms and things getting to the base of the plant. Also it helps
to put some sand around the base of the plant where the vine comes out. This
also improves drainage and reduces the surface moisture the fungi love. Next
you can make certain that sun and light get into the base by removing any
dead leaves. This helps to keep the vine dry. Also you can spray the base of
the plant once a week with an antifungal agent and there are, as you, know
many. Finally if you see a moist spot developingclean it out and put some
sulfur powder on that spot and bring in a small fan to dry the area and
prevent spread of the rot. All of this should help but there never are any
guarantees. I know there are other things you can do and maybe someone can
add to, improve on or contradict my suggestions. Also, from my experience,
watch out for groundhogs because if they eat the rest of the plant the base
vine won't really matter.
Marv in Altoona
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