hello fellow gardners, i took several cuttings off my main basil plants several weeks back and propagated then in a solution of water, sugar, and some vitamin B. In about a week the roots were ample, so i decided to move them to pots. Now I noticed that some of them, on the main stem about a cm above the soil (and also below when i dig a big deeper) is turning brown as if it's dying. but after that rot the stem seems healthy except for small white patches of what looks like a condensed spider web. other than that the plant looks healthy, but its growth is very slow. anyone know what is causing this? thanks. pics: http://imgs.knight47.com/users/public/v76470914080220h93.jpg this the part that looks like it is dying. http://imgs.knight47.com/users/public/q66670914080222o93.jpg this is the top half of the stem, where the stem is green. edit: this place doesn't support the image tag?! it's a botany forum!! and no similes too :0
Stem rot in young plants is normaly caused by either the fungus Rhizoctonia (damping off), or the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (stem rot). You can look them both up on the Internet. These fungi can be eliminated, or greatly reduced, by use of sterile containers and growth medium, a fungicide, or to a great extent by simply watering all new young plants early in the morning, and then placing the container in the sun so the surface of the soil quickly dries. Both fungi require moisture to propagate. - Millet
