Question about Grapsospadix (soil and rot)

[Russell Coker]

Ray,

Thanks for the info about the Subdue.  Messenger sounds like a great
product.  When I look around the garden I see many things that I'd like to
try it on.  I just figured that a good drench of Subdue couldn't hurt, so
what the heck.

As for the rot, does this sound typical?  A small black dot appears on a
leaf like a bruise, and it quickly grows larger and larger.  In a couple of
days the whole plant has melted from the top down.  This seems to come out
of nowhere, and kills otherwise healthy plants very quickly.  I have no
explanation for why or which plants it hits.  I was using Subdue as a root
rot preventative, just to be on the safe side.  But once the spot appeared
on the leaf, nothing seemed to stop it.

Russell


----- Original Message -----
From: "George R. Stilwell, Jr." <GRSJr at WORLDNET.ATT.NET>
To: <ARISAEMA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL>
Sent: Saturday, November 12, 2005 11:59 AM
Subject: Re: Question about Grapsospadix (soil and rot)


> >
>>I've switched my plants to my bonsai soil mix, which is basically sifted
>>pine bark and crushed red lava rock.  It holds moisture but does not stay
>>wet, and the moisture content can be regulated be adjusting the bark/rock
>>ratio.  The rhizome bunch seems to dislike being planted too deeply.  Some
>>roots will even run around on the surface of the soil.  I also plan on
>>doing a better job of drenching the soil with a fungicide called "Subdue"
>>this next go-around, and I'm staying away from organic fertilizers too.
>>
>>Thoughts anyone?
>>
>>Russell
>
> The mix makes sense, Russell, but the Subdue is questionable. I've used it
> for years to prevent Phytophthora root rot in Rhododendrons with marginal
> results. It seems to delay the death of the plant but not prevent it from
> dying. The effect is almost nil if the plant is already infected.
>
> What has worked for me is Messenger. A light spray on even severely
> infected plants has caused them to revive beyond belief. I have no idea if
> it would work on Arisaema, but it's worth a shot.
>
> Unlike Subdue which acts to kill the invading organism. Messenger
> stimulates a gene in the plant itself causing it's immune system to
> activate strongly. It was discovered at Cornell University, is
> manufactured and marketed by Eden Biochemical, and, until recently, was
> only available in quantities suitable for treating hundreds of acres of
> cotton and such. But now they package it for home use and you can order it
> directly from their website.
> http://www.edenbio.com/
>
> Although my garden was used for early experiments with Messenger to see if
> it was as effective on ornamentals as on cash crops, I have no connections
> with Eden. I just have had excellent results with Messenger.
>
> Ray
>