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Hingham,massachusetts

My stump is pissing water like it is under pressure. Any tips on how to stop or should I be worried?

7/22/2009 3:47:12 PM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Stop drinking so much beer?

7/22/2009 9:41:09 PM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Seriously though, sounds weird. I have heard of leaking, but not like it is under pressure.

7/22/2009 9:41:50 PM

norway , maine

at least you dont need a straw...lol.

7/22/2009 11:21:55 PM

Rhode Island

foaming stumps started showing up in the hobby several years ago.we have concluded based on many observations (LOL)
that soils high in organic matter are more likely to foam at the base then soils that drain really well and tend to dry out quicker.

i have four plants in a area thats high in leaf compost. three out of four are foaming and heavy with water and
foam drainage at the base.one in particular has been dripping at the drainage area for a steady four days. thats a lot of water retention.

the problem can be corrected and in some case the base does not compltely rot away. either way you need to relieve the pressure and also at the same time give the bacterial infested liquid a place to drain. i would suggest

1. with your hands clean out any mountain of soil that was built up around the crown, dont be afraid to expose those big roots a bit, they go very deep into the soil.

2. find the soft spots where the liquit is draining and drill a few holes into the base and out the botton of base to allow drainage

3. after drilling (go to the same spot you drilled) and cut a wedge out at the top and bottom of crown. by doing so the liquid can not pass down the main and cause further problems.if you have several spots to drill? cut out a several wedges as well.flush out with any antibacterial flush

4. if you suspect that the foam has passed down the main? go to the lowest spot on the main, drill a hole,cut a narrow wedge, and flush the crown and main with fungicide plus a mild solution of bleach or alcohol and water.

5. buy a bag of sulfer and coat the area inside and out.

6.theres a chance depending on how bad the foaming is that you will eventually loose the crown (base ) and several sides anyway however, if you do nothing? you can loose the entire plant eventually.

the fruit will grow with no base but it can not grow without a plant behind it.
hope this helps.

7/23/2009 7:46:31 AM

Murfreesboro, TN, USA

Hey Pap, excellent description. I have a question about the base if you have a chance to read this. I was noticing on one of my plants that the dirt had naturally moved away from the stump and exposing the roots. I pushed dirt back to it, but do you see any problems with this?

7/23/2009 8:03:07 AM

Rhode Island

if your patch holds a lot of water id strongly suggest keeping a large cover over the stump when watering or when it rains.
id also remove a few inches down into the soil around the base, expose a bit of those finger sized feeder roots to some fresh air.
water can be the greatest equalizer of all. a slow death for the base but never the less death will eventually come.
you just hope to keep it going as long as you can.
once the base goes if it just dries out and does not rot any further then it can be left there like an empty gas can.
if the rot continues then at some point you will need to take the base and whatever sides are effected out of the plant.

7/23/2009 5:47:59 PM

Hingham,massachusetts

Thanks Pap
It's a shame it's the plant you gave me and it was doing well. Where do you buy sulfur?

7/23/2009 5:53:01 PM

Rhode Island

most good garden stores ---even walfart may have it. try home depot, etc, as well. sulfer when kept dry helps form a scab over the cuts as well as it disinfects

7/24/2009 6:10:17 AM

Santa Ynez California

hI. I had foaming root on one of my plants a few weeks ago. I dug down past the stump's cavity to where the roots all seperated from the stump and left this hole then drilled a hole in bottom of cavity. I live in a very dry climate but it did go away and stump area has seems to be healthy still - and it has been a few weeks now. I think I even added a photo in my diary a few weeks badk of the stump area after i dug away the dirt and then drained the cavity inside the stump. Steve

7/25/2009 6:34:27 PM