This has showed up in the last few days on a friend’s plant. They are in my organic soil mix, in a tent with climate controls and fan. He is only feeding Megacrop. The plant still looks good showing growth daily. I don’t remember ever having this problem and don’t have a clue how to move forward. Oh, and I know of 30 plants in the same soil showing no problems
Any help will be greatly appreciated
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I’d say the stalk is rotting. Although I have no idea why that would happen!
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Agree, looks like bothritis cynerea, there’s nothing to do but cull it, sorry for that…
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Collar rot, once it gets ahold it’s nearly always fatal to the plant. It’s more common if you over water and the soil is too heavy or insufficiently drained. Good luck!
It’s typically a phytophthora fungi that is responsible, rather than botrytis, it’s the same species as root rot. As it takes hold it basically ringbarks the plant. You could try some pythium anti fungal agents, sulphur, copper oxysulphate etc if it hasn’t already turned the bark to mush.
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That’s exactly what I think
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Thanks much @George and @slain. I knew it didn’t look good at all and figured it was fatal. I don’t have a clue why it happened tho. He has more of a problem under watering, fan is always on. Is there anything else that could cause it?
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he wasn’t pouring molasses on there was he?
Soil ever removed from the root flare?
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Sometimes imho it’s the luck of the draw, soils carry vast amounts of fungal spores, just waiting for the right conditions to sprout. I’ve had it pop up on plants outside next to other plants that were fine, same soil, same everything so maybe there is an element of the plants natural resistance as well. I know that root rot is typically a fungus of opportunity and relies on the plant being weak and conditions being favorable for it to thrive. If it’s not killing the plant atm, it may be salvageable, most of the time the first thing you notice is a wilted plant, and by that point the bark is already mush.
Spraying some phosphorous acid based fungicide is probably the best bet, though avoid copper based fungicides if you do this as they don’t combine well.
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Do you think it could be sprayed with an antifungal and since it’s not affecting the plant(according to him, I haven’t seen it) it might possibly save it? I know it’s a long shot but I think that’s what I’ll tell him to try. It’s about the only shot it has but I’d say, by the looks of it it has about a 5% chance if that.
Thanks Much, I really do appreciate it, I’ve grew several decades and don’t think I have ever seen this…still learning…or I can’t remember shit…lol
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hit it with everything let us know. I would start with h202. is it in veg? Maybe treat the bottoms of the rest of the plants with hort oil as a preventative.
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No molasses, strictly feeding Megacrop and as far as I know he hasn’t distributed the soil very much . I repoted them and did it like I’ve done a few thousand times. They are also in felt pots and overwatering shouldn’t be a problem.
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Yeah it’s worth a shot hey, I would check if the whole circumference of the stem is mushy, that will tell you straight away if it’s might be salvageable, remove the mushy infected bark tissue and see if there’s a strip of it that is still alive and able to carry nutrients. You probably want to give it a full root drench as the pythium will be elsewhere. A phosacid is the best bet imho at this point. Better get onto it fast though, pythium is very quick.
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Thanks Brother. I will update later
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I am thinking fusarium wilt…
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Could be fusarium wilt also, though that sunken brown bark is a strong indicator of phytophthora, it’s normally wet soils that are susceptible. Same general treatment options I think?.
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Important to avoid cross contamination with other plants when working with this one.
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Yea I would think it would be the same, usually thou the plant is not salvageable at this point, dealt with a few times and never was able to save the plant
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It’s unnecessary, it can disturb the balance of organic soil and all the microbes that keep the plants healthy.
If he insists on using Megacrop then let him use it with coco or perlite or go the DWC route.
I see it so often, people running into trouble from mixing synthetics with organic soil.
It’s often inviting trouble.
Going all organic, or all synthetic seems to be best from what I’ve seen here over the years.
Insects and fungi can easily decimate plants growing in sterile environments with synthetics, but an all organic grow can handle it all much better because everything keeps everything in check, there’s a natural balance, it all sorts itself out, it’s much more robust.
My plants have thrips and they just keep growing, they don’t care.
I just squish the ones I see and that’s it.
I mean… nature has been going at it for millions of years, it works, adding synthetics just make zero sense. You can fertilize with nitrogen fixers such as beans, clover, peas, etc.
Topdress or mix into new batches of soil: kitchenscraps, grass clippings, tree leaves, nettles, etc, the more diverse the better, it ensures all minerals are there.
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Could also be root rot, as you see it’s progressing upwards through the stem (check first branch), so there’s nothing you can do, tell him to check the roots if possible … 
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I’ll make sure and pass that on…thanks