Busy Lizzies need Help

[mintymow]

HELP! What is happening to my Busy Lizzies? Suddenly and I mean suddenly, they look like they are about to die. Leaves and flowers are just dropping off. They have been magnificent and now it seems almost overnight a patch of them are looking very sad. So far the surrounding plants seem ok although I think I notice it spreading. Is this some dreadful disease?

[bushcombe]

sounds like roots are to wet or to dry or if they are in the garden an ants nest under the plants

[paddywak]

I had three "Flower Towers" of Busy Lizzies all planted at the same time fed & watered the same etc they were loking great then one, for no apparent reason just withered & died while the other two still loook great

[reefgal]

same here..the ones that are in pots are still flourishing but the ones in moss baskets are dying.

[mintymow]

Found this article on-line, sounds like what my plants and possibly yours, are experiencing.

"It causes the petals and leaves of the plant to fall off, reducing them to bare stems.

Known as Impatiens downy mildew, it first appears as a white felt-like powder on the underside of leaves and spreads on airborne spores.

Gardeners have been urged to keep an eye out for the disease and to destroy any of the bedding plants displaying symptoms to stop the spread.

Scores have already contacted the Royal Horticultural Society about their dying busy lizzies.

Although commercial growers have been developing measures to control the disease, slow sales at the start of the bedding plant season meant that plants became crowded. This provided favourable conditions for the virus to spread and meant that infected plants may have been sold to the public.

Guy Barter, head of horticultural advisory services at the RHS, said that it was unclear where the disease was coming from.

He said:"There is always a danger that treatment with professional fungicides in the nursery can suppress but not eliminate the disease so that it breaks out later in gardens."

He said that there was no real remedy for the problem other than digging up infected plants and avoiding replanting busy lizzies in the same ground "

An explanation perhaps but not much help for my flower beds. I shall take the advice and dig them up, if only to perhaps gives the healthier ones a chance.

[saoirs]

had your experience with one of my pots but when I looked under the dying stems lots of maggots were swirling around and obviously were feeding off the plant. Some insect or other must have laid its eggs arouynd the base of the plant. I removed the dying pot and my other busy lizzies are thriving>

[mintymow]

Unfortunately this problem is going through mine, and have lost lots. Have taken up those that are obviously affected. Fortunately still have the begonias to look at!