Re: Roots vs Leaves (watering)

In a message dated 12/6/98 8:04:52 PM Eastern Standard Time, jshunt3@juno.com
writes:

<< Subj:	 Re: Roots vs Leaves (watering)
 Date:	12/6/98 8:04:52 PM Eastern Standard Time
 From:	jshunt3@juno.com (Jon S Hun)
 Sender:	owner-pumpkins@mallorn.com
 Reply-to:	pumpkins@mallorn.com
 To:	pumpkins@mallorn.com
 
 Several years ago Doc Pumpkinstein wrote about this subject.  It was
 published in the WPC news letter.  I seem to have missed placed the
 article but the just of it was the plant roots extended out beyond the
 trunk by some 25 to 30 feet.  He used a high pressure hose to remove the
 dirt and found a massive bed of roots going in all directions form the
 trunk.  He also found that the majority of feeder roots stayed up in the
 top 6-8 inches of soil.  As I recall these were what he called the main
 support for the plant.  He warned of  the dangers of deep watering
 because most of us have heavy soil and the sub soil will retain moisture
 and the deep roots will rot making our plants week.  This may explain
 some of the problems we have been having with stump rot. Possibly the
 roots start to rot and decay travels up the larger roots to the
 stump.(just a theory)  I lost two plants to stump rot this year and never
 found any large roots attached to the stump.  I think the rot may have
 started in the large vine roots and worked its way to the surface where
 it was too late to treat the problem.  This seems to be a big problem for
 a lot of growers both new and experienced.  Have any of you with well
 drained soil experienced root or stump rot problems? 
 
 Jon Hunt >>

I have well drained medium loam, my garden is on a plateau 7' above my lower
back yard.  Pumpkins send roots 3/8 in diameter several feet down.  I often
dig them up at the end of the season I've never found any rot, but I have
ideal drainage.  Never had root rot but did have stump rot once, I don't think
it was caused by water, not sure what it was.  Stump grew rapidly and
distorted just before it rotted.

George
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