Erodium disease

[John85]

The stems turn brown inside then rot.The plant is growing in gritty soil in a raised bed and the drainage is very good.I guess it is a fungus a bit like a erodium version of the dutch elm disease and the phenomenon was very fast.May be it is the same disease that killed my dianthus last autumn.
Any idea what it is and how to get rid of it?
HELP pleeeeease there is a hole collection at risk!!!!

[maggiepie]

Sorry I can't help, John but am bumping it up so maybe someone who can will see it.

Hope you can find an answer before you lose them.

[ronm]

There's a mention of fungal disease here.

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=uz_JS112w_kC&pg=PA249&lpg=PA249&dq=erodium+rot+disease&source=bl&ots=lyEe5GmDuE&sig=NoRuDor3vl9cdmQi_pQQbc4n5II&hl=en&sa=X&ei=KPSTT93rMOeG0AWUr4j7AQ&sqi=2&ved=0CB8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=erodium%20rot%20disease&f=false

My suggestion would be to cut out and destroy all infected material and to treat all newly exposed areas with Sulphur powder. I'd also take as many cuttings as I could from clean healthy material as an insurance against losing the collection.

[John85]

I have been adviced to try a systemic fungicide.I garden organically but it seems that this time I'll have to make an exception.