Re: Soft stems??? CURE
In a message dated 9/2/01 10:59:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
BSADOWSKI@CompuServe.COM writes:
>
> What causes a pumpkins stem to go soft? It gets a brownish
> color.....looks like it is engorged with water. Generally where the stem
> meets the vine is where the mushy part is.
> Bill Sadowski, using some bleach and captan on the soft stuff
>
Bill S. and Ed Pappas,
I lost my entire patch last year to gummy stem rot. I used a Tooth
brush with some bleach and water, dried it with a fan and hair dryer, added
Captan to no avail.
This year it started again. I have had 100% success by doing the following.
Wash the area with a 50\50 Bleach and water solution with a tooth brush. With
the brush, remove all gummy material. Dry as well as you can. Then spray (I
used a hand spray bottle) a solution of 50% water and 50% Flowable Liquid
Copper Fungicide. You can get this product from Gardens Alive under the name
Soap-Shield. I did not even use a fan. If you have the same luck I had, your
problem will be gone in 24-48 hours. It worked wonders for me. I think Captan
is a thing of the past. It retains water and is not the product to use in my
opinion. It is also a known carcinogen. Best of Luck.
Alan R.
The Tarp Guy
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