Brown fungus on stems

[Jungle Joseph]

I've found some sort of a fungus on my plant. It's been quite humid lately so it's the perfect time for fungus, mold etc. The buds on the offending stem are still ok, so I'm thinking about cutting below the fungus and leaving the rest of the plant to finish flowering. My question is, if I cut the stem below the dead part, will the plant be okay to finish flowering? Or should I just harvest early? Or is there something else I can do? No chemicals.

 

[Phytoplankton]

I don’t think that’s fungus, or if it is, it’s secondary. On each one of those bad spots I’m pretty sure I see holes. I’m on a cell phone so I can’t get a great view. But they look like the holes left by corn borers. They’re the larvae of a moth. They burrow into the stem and cause all kinds of havoc. In one picture there’s a lump several inches from the bad spot, betcha there's a larvae in there. If a branch dies cut it open and I’ll bet the inside is eaten up. Honestly as far into flower you are I don’t think there’s much you can do to treat it. Hope it doesn’t kill any large branches. Before you plant there again sterilize or spray the soil, as one stage of the borer lives in the soil.

 

[Phytoplankton]

Add that, you could cut the offending branch off, but unless it starts to die, I’d just leave it and hope. No need to pull early. If there is a fungus/bacteria then sulfur applied to the affected area should keep it from spreading. The fingus is there because of the damage.

 

[Jungle Joseph]

I decided to chop it off in case the spores spread. I cut the stem open and didn't see any bug inside, or traces of one having been there. Hopefully it hasn't spread to the rest of the plant. It's definitely brown, fluffy moldy stuff on it. I will burn it. The buds look fine.

 

[Stunger]

Hey Joseph, just out of interest, was that suspected mold at an area of the branch that had been super cropped? I just wondered as it kind of looked like it. Great photo sequence.

A few years ago, I had a plant in flowering that was stressed and got attacked with what I diagnosed as Fusarium Wilt, a fungus, and one by one branches developed similar dead parts as your's. I would wait as longer possible before chopping the branch to let the buds develop as much as possible, but once I cut the dying branch then the next one would start to go. I felt the plant would sacrifice a branch when she couldn't hold out any longer.

 

[Jungle Joseph]

Hey Joseph, just out of interest, was that suspected mold at an area of the branch that had been super cropped? I just wondered as it kind of looked like it. Great photo sequence.

A few years ago, I had a plant in flowering that was stressed and got attacked with what I diagnosed as Fusarium Wilt, a fungus, and one by one branches developed similar dead parts as your's. I would wait as longer possible before chopping the branch to let the buds develop as much as possible, but once I cut the dying branch then the next one would start to go. I felt the plant would sacrifice a branch when she couldn't hold out any longer.

Yes, it was at the area I supercropped, I was thinking about that. I topped there, and supercropped as well. It may have gotten infected from where the stem was injured. I am quite rough with them.
It's a good learning experience for me.
I really hope it doesn't progress like yours did.

 

[Stunger]

That time it happened to me the plant hadn't been suprecropped, but I hadn't given it adequate nutrition which I think stressed it to the point where the fungus was able to attack it. But since then I have fairly extensively supercropped (mostly with pliers), and some of those injury sites can look a little crook. Anyway, the rest of your plant looks good.

 

[Jungle Joseph]

That time it happened to me the plant hadn't been suprecropped, but I hadn't given it adequate nutrition which I think stressed it to the point where the fungus was able to attack it. But since then I have fairly extensively supercropped (mostly with pliers), and some of those injury sites can look a little crook. Anyway, the rest of your plant looks good.

Yeah I use pliers too.
I'm thinking it's probably a combination of injury, stress, humidity etc, and the spores just took advantage.
I've been feeding with bat guano every 2nd or 3rd watering. I've been letting her get dry, I lift the pot to judge.
The soil I use is supposedly able to provide the plant with all it needs from seed to harvest. I also top dressed with worm castings a couple weeks ago.
It was a beautiful circular wreath before, it's just a C shape now

 

[Jungle Joseph]

C?

 

[Stunger]

Ahh that did cause it to lose a chunk. That's a shame, but at least the rest looks good for now.