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Northville Ny

I had rotted both of my plants stumps last year by the end of the season. Some of my issues I believe are to do w/ my irrigation system being too close to them & constantly getting them wet. The other concern I have has to do w/ my soil media, last year I used vermiculite(holds water) I think I should add some perlite this year to add some air & better drainage. I will be more aware of my sprinklers this year. Any thoughts on the perlite?

1/22/2011 6:57:42 PM

Western PA

Don't know about the perlite. You may want to consider covering the stumps like a lot of growers are doing. I used a small plastic basket from the Dollar Store to cover mine and they worked great. They look like a mini clothes basket. I just cut a section out for the stump and lay it over top of it, then put a brick on it.

1/23/2011 8:25:46 AM

Northville Ny

I had my stumps covered w/ small tables I made. I mainly would leave them uncovered during sunny days & covered them every evening & when it was going to rain. It didn't rain much in NY last year, so my irrigation ran a bunch! I blocked a lot of the heads that threw water towards the stumps, but it must not have been enough. This year I will remove the heads or restrict their flow,& block!

1/23/2011 8:48:35 AM

Joliet, IL

close examination of the stumps on all sides, even underneath helps catch a growth fissure from becoming an issue if caught early on and addressed and kept dry. pruning early and making sure to keep pruning irregular shoot growth that happens sometimes all season. i also like the small white plastic tables to keep the stumps as dry as possible all season long. and i too have to watch and position my undercanopy low volume sprinkles from hitting the stump.

1/24/2011 7:44:15 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

Shazzy, can you ellaborate on the pruning of irregular shoot growth? I thought too much pruning can cause foaming stumps? Thanks

1/25/2011 2:22:33 PM

Joliet, IL

the stump area will kick out weird small leaves and secondaries at different times all season. i have had a secondary form under the stump form mid season and was mostly buried growing down and got twisted up in a ball like a knot and actually had a small unpollinated female in the twisted mess and the whole growth started rotting under the soil before i discovered it and the rot backtracked into the stump. early pruning of un-neccessary growth on the stump itself and maintenance pruning all season of the stump is what i meant luke.

1/26/2011 3:41:12 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

You need to go on a patch tour of the local patches of people who have been doing this for years. I always thought you could catch on to what was being done by reading the info here...cleaning off the stump and keeping it cleaned off is something you may have to see...When I went to Alan Reynolds patch way back when.....I knew I was doing it wrong...they cleaned it clear of everything...that stump had nothing on it but sun....no little leaves nothing..that stump wants to be clear to the sun. GrowEmBig! chuck

1/26/2011 6:29:58 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

Thanks for clarifying Shazzy.

1/26/2011 7:01:21 PM