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On the above broccoli stem, stem rot caused a certain part of the stem to become so stinky-rotten that the plant's entire top half simply fell off. In the garden, stem rot is bad news for many important plants, and one problem for controlling it is that numerous organisms cause it.

Physical wounds can invite infections from many organisms, insects can cause stem rot, and even species of the genus Pythium, which isn't a plant, animal, fungus, or anything else generally known, but rather an Oomycete of the "SAR supergroup."

Life cycles of the various stem-rot-causing species are varied. However, most species can be fought, with varying success, by interrupting the life cycles by using the following practices:

• Remove stem-rot-infected plant remains so they won't contaminate future crops
• Sterilize tools, shoes and clothing that have been used in infected soil
• During watering, avoid splattering soil particles onto plants
• Having plenty of organic matter in the soil helps keep disease organisms under control in various ways
• Soil can be sterilized by burning or use of fungicides, though this also destroys useful organisms