Thank you Citrusenthusiast, funny you should say that about phytopthera - I am also in the throes of despair about one of my chile plants that went from fine to completely wilted (and now pulled out) overnight. The most likely reason is indeed Phytopthera, as far as I can gather from what I've read (am on the hot chile forum about this as well). But it seems to be a slightly different strain/species of Phytopt. than the one you mention, but I'm not sure. Someone on the pepper forum also suggested Pythium, which I am now researching. I haven't noticed sap leaking from the bark, but I certainly wasn't looking for it either. We have had a very wet winter, and now, although it is supposed to be summer, we are having some rainstorms as I type. This does not bode well for anything infected with Phytopthera, as far as I can gather. Looks like I'll have to try the bark removal with lesoin burning as well as some copper spray, as recommended on that site - thanks for the link, it is very informative. I have 2 more citrus trees in my very small garden, one a newly acquired Tahiti lime, and the other a rather strange very large, very thick pithed(?) one. My paranoia of cross-infection is growing by the minute! I am also staring to wonder whether this disease has not been lurking in the garden for a while... Last year I was away for quite a while during summer and when I returned all my tomatoes were looking dreadful, all leaves wilted but fruit still on. I first assumed that the person taking care of the garden might not have done such a good job, and then wondered whether that is the natural way once tomatoes have done their thing. Now I'm thinking that it looked suspiciously like what just happened to my one chile plant. I'm sure it's clear that I am still very new to veggie and fruit gardening, and I guess the very cramped urban space is not helping (think I might have a few too many plants in here). I'm not doing very well at posting single pictures, so think that if you click on the link in my previous post and look around, you can also see my sadly departed chile, if interested. (think the subalbum chile plants shows closer views of the damage) And yes, holding thumbs is the equivalent of crossing fingers, as far as I know. Think it comes from the Afrikaans which would have come from the Dutch - 'hou duimvas'. thanks again for your advice, it is much appreciated.

Would like to see a picture. First, has the veneer graft taken? Second, has it flushed yet? If the veneer graft has survived, I would pinch the tip of the rootstock, to eliminate its dominance. Then I would hold off cutting back the top part of the rootstock down to the scion until the scion has flushed at least one time -- maybe two.

When should I cut back the rootstock of a grafted sugar maple? on Saturday I grafted a a piece of soft budwood from a sugar maple in my great aunts yard onto a sugar maple sapling I baught from amazon to use as rootstalk. I used the veneer graft method but left the terminal shout on the top of the rootstalking growing hoping to feed the graft as it heals. Should I leave it growing or cut it back to feed energy into the scion? The reason Im grafting this is because my great aunt the one the tree belonged to passed away a few years ago and Im trying to grow this in her memory. Does anybody have any tips on caring for this graft? Should I keep the rootstalk growing until the graft heals or snip the terminal growth tip on? Thanks.

next ... do not cut off any live growth.. this time of year.. you dont want to stimulate new gtrowth.. goign into winter ...which might end up just fine with you... so be patient ... next.. not many things die from a bad pruning.. no matter who does it ... so this isnt all that surprising ... next ... cut off nothing that you cant get to easily ... you dont want to damage new growth .. with trees and shrubs.. there is no real hurry .. next ... do not cut off any live growth.. this time of year.. you dont want to stimulate new growth.. going into winter ... next ... if you can find someone who will drop good work to come to you for 60 bucks.. let us know ... im thinking that idea will not come all that cheap ... but that depends on where you are ... unless you join a garden club.. and someone will do it for free ... but even then.. its not all that a big deal.. in a year or 3 .. you can do it yourself ... its not hard with a good pair of hand pruners.. which might also cost you more than 60 bucks.. lol .. plan on killing and removing the grass around it and then mulching.. just on principle ... eventually you can train it to one trunk.. or more shrub form.. thats all in the years to come ..... do not fert it in fall ... we want it to go dormant .. not get all juiced up .... [your pic doesnt look like a warm zone area ...] ken