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Location

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Date Posted

Central Illinois

Any recommendations for preparing soil that I should avoid or do to reduce foaming stumps, ,over 50% of my plants have turned into foamers, my organic matter is around 4.2 % .

I have leaf compost started in fall of 2014 that I plan on using to bury vines next year and after I get this years tests back I may add 2 year old horse manure yet this year

10/15/2015 5:59:31 PM

Eganville, Ontario

I haven't had a foamer since I started to fork my secondaries forward instead of cutting them off as a traditional Christmas tree pattern.

10/15/2015 6:57:02 PM

Colorado

Prob. more important is pruning technique and keeping the plant from flagging during hot humid weather. Also easy on the nitrogen.

10/15/2015 6:59:32 PM

East Jordan, MI

cut off the first side vines that go directly into the stump (usually first two here). I like to have about a foot to 18 inches of stump before first sidevine. Since we started doing that, no more stump problems.

10/15/2015 7:43:18 PM

Upa Creek, MO

Do you all mound or is that and antiquated technique? I start about 9 inches above the rest of the patch and gradually bring it down over a slight slope. Never had a foamer.

10/15/2015 7:59:02 PM

Deer Park, WI

The current theory on foamers suggests that a robust root system is pumping more water than the leaves can transpire through evaporation.

As such, RyanH's suggestion is spot on. More growing points to translocate water to will relieve pressure in the system, pressure that would otherwise cause rupturing of the vascular system at the crown (foamers).

Additional interventions may also include fans that move significant amounts of are across the leaf surface...the more evaporation that can take place, the less pressure there is on the system.

10/15/2015 8:12:35 PM

Paradise Mountain, New York

Never ever had a foaming stump. Been growing since 2002. When I water my plants, I also water the stump good. Never had a bad stump as one that rots. No glass little roof type thing I see other growers put over there stump. The only thing I do different is what a grower told me he did every year, I use a lot of corn meal around the planting area when I'm going to set my plants out. A lot? About 20-25 pounds corn meal in a 6'x6' to 7'x7' area

10/15/2015 9:09:57 PM

Central Illinois

Thanks for the replies My plan next year was to avoid kinking the main,remove the first secondaries while they are small, try to prune one vine every 2 days instead of 1 per day.I dont see how I would have enough space to not prune secondaries.

Should I have any worries about adding OM to the patches then, its almost poo hauling time .

Whats the corn meal theory, I have heard corn meal can stop weeds but thought that was about its only use.

10/16/2015 8:13:50 AM

Deer Park, WI

You can continue to add OM. Sorry, not familiar with the corn meal theory.

10/16/2015 8:29:01 AM

JACKSON, WISCONSIN. ; )

Corn meal adds o m and slow release nitrogen.. Feeds the worms.. I use seed meals as well but not to fight off foamers.. Try planting the crown at an angle not straight up.. They lay down a lot nicer that way. That should help any kinks that arise while the plant is laying down. I have only had one foaming stump and it was a fluke anyhow..best of luck

10/16/2015 9:05:20 AM

Paradise Mountain, New York

Corn meal does not stop weeds. To many get corn meal and gluten meal mixed up. Gluten mean kills weeds.

10/16/2015 2:50:37 PM

Paradise Mountain, New York

cornmeal is able to attract a member of the Trichoderma fungus family, which is a good fungus that kills off disease causing fungi in a matter of weeks.

10/16/2015 2:51:44 PM