Yesterday I started researching this potato plant branch wilting thing and came upon a lead in one article I read. Fire ants. When I searched that specifically I found more information. So I went down to the garden to have a look.
I reached in and started pulling the leaf mulch from the base of one of the wilted branches and here they come! Fire ants. I quickly withdrew my hand and started frantically brushing ants off my hand before they could start biting. Around here that becomes an automatic reflex!
Well, I know that a gallon of my "death from above" mix of dishwashing liquid and water really decimates an ant mound and the mix is friendly to plants so I doused the wilted branch on each of two plants. It can't hurt. We'll see if that arrests the progress of the wilt. Meanwhile I need to check the other potato plants for the start of wilt and check for ants if I find any.
Another experiment!
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