I've had busy lizzies in wall-hanging planters this year and they have been looking handsome until a couple of weeks ago. Then they started to rot from the unopened buds back down the stems. I asked around and I've been told that virtually all busy lizzies have this disease related to botrytis and that's why few nurseries sell them. Apparently the industry has yet to find any resistant strains.
I was advised not to put the rotting foliage onto the compost heap but burn it. The compost from the planters is OK to be used around the garden. Also the fibrous-rooted begonias are good substitutes and don't have this disease.
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Hi Sandra
Tell us more - where are they and what are they growing in?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Just multi purpose compost I have used it for years no problem
It's been quite chilly here lately - has it been a combination of cold and damp do you think?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
No I have had them inside
Scratches head and thinks ......... is it the roots that are rotting? Could it be vine weevils?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Could be thank you
I've had busy lizzies in wall-hanging planters this year and they have been looking handsome until a couple of weeks ago. Then they started to rot from the unopened buds back down the stems. I asked around and I've been told that virtually all busy lizzies have this disease related to botrytis and that's why few nurseries sell them. Apparently the industry has yet to find any resistant strains.
I was advised not to put the rotting foliage onto the compost heap but burn it. The compost from the planters is OK to be used around the garden. Also the fibrous-rooted begonias are good substitutes and don't have this disease.