How to Control Gummy Stem Blight in Melons

Gummy stem blight is a fungal disease that can affect cucurbits, a family of climbing plants that includes cucumber, pumpkin, watermelon and cantaloupe. Gummy stem blight in melons is characterized by lesions and burn marks on the leaves. A reddish-brown sticky substance later appears on the stem of the plant; the stem becomes tan in response to the fungus. Fruiting bodies or powdery mildew may also appear on the melon plant. You can control gummy stem blight through cultural and chemical practices.

Plow
Hose
Insecticidal soap
Fungicide

Instructions

- 1
  Plow or till planting grounds well after harvesting melons to upset spores of the disease that await germination in the soil. Plowing also eliminates organic debris from previous crops that could increase the likelihood of a gummy stem blight outbreak.
- 2
  Choose melon seeds that are resistant to powdery mildew. Powdery mildew, another fungal plant disease that can strike melon plants, is often associated with gummy stem blight. Eliminating one disease may help you control the other.
- 3
  Manage aphid populations among your melon plants as a cultural control for gummy stem blight. Aphids feed on the juice in the leaves of the melon plant, which leaves your melon susceptible to blight and other disease. Remove aphids with a forceful stream of water or applications of insecticidal soap.
- 4
  Spray melon plants with fungicides labeled appropriate for powdery mildew and blight. Your state's regulations will determine which specific chemicals are safe and legal to use in a home garden. Spray at the first sign of gummy stem blight on the leaves and repeat applications as needed, especially after rain.

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