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What is doing this?

sadams

sadams

Ok, so I planted about 50 plants in the garden. I usually plant in containers, but this year decided to also try the garden. So far, all has been good til today. I got home to find 4 plants laying over. Upon inspection of the plants, I found that an area right at the base had been eaten away....I guess. Im not real sure whats happening. All 4 plants have the same symptoms as the one shown in the pic below. I have 3 of them together, and another is away from these quite a ways and other pepper plants are between them with no sign of this. Any ideas?

pic_1_stem.jpg


SA
 
muskymojo said:
My guess would be voles or some other small rodent. Try setting some mouse traps at the base of some plants.
Click to expand...

Could be, the fence around the area is 4" square, but it looks awful neat and clean cut for a rodent.


RouteBound said:
Id bet over watering.
let them dry out more before watering.
to much moisture causing them to rot at the base.
Click to expand...

Can't stop mother nature, I've not watered these things since they've been out there. The soil is very wet right now due to the fact that it rained .62" about an hour before I took this pic. I would think rot would have less neat edges. Could be though, it has been pretty damp for the last several weeks.

millworkman said:
Cutworm.
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This was my mother-in-law and my mothers guess. I inspected though, and could find no cut worm at all. I had some last year, but they were on the limbs and didn't seem to mess with the stem. I guess I will spray tomorrow, though I was hoping not too....:-(
 
It's a fungus that grows on top of wet soil and effects your plant, (some fancy name) I looked it up a few years ago. I loose over 100 plants per year because of it and once they have it 95% die.
 
You could try removing the mulch from the stems a bit (4" or so) and putting crushed eggshells around them. The cutworms will not go over the eggshells, if they do it will cut the cutworms :)
 
It looks exactly like the damage I've had in the past from voles. It is the right height, and they love mulched areas like that. You usually can't see actual teeth marks either. Cutworms are possible suspects also.
Whatever it is, KILL IT! 4 plants in one day sucks!
Good luck!
 
Spicy Chicken said:
It's a fungus that grows on top of wet soil and effects your plant, (some fancy name) I looked it up a few years ago. I loose over 100 plants per year because of it and once they have it 95% die.
Click to expand...

:eek: Is there a remedy that you know of? Does it happen to your plants in plastic mulch, or the other ones, or both?
 
Hay musky how are ya?

It happens in my plastic mulch more then open ground, open ground can dry out and kill the fungus or have it go dormant anyway, the plastic hold the moisture more and I get a bigger kill each year because of it, I just plan for it and have replacements.

I do not now about a remedy, it may be to late or maybe not, just keep the area on top as dry as possible and see what happens or google it.

Sclerotium rolfsii

Good luck buddy and if I'm wrong I'm wrong!

Cheers, SC

 
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