Galanthus disease

[Paddy Tobin]

It's very hard to see where this fungal infection is coming from. Certainly a very odd one.

Paddy

[vivienr]

I have just found the same nasty stuff on some nivalis in a raised bed in my garden today. I have never seen it before. The area gets the least sun of my snowdrop beds. It looks as if it may have come from the leafmould mulch. Perhaps the leafmould has been contaminated or has just kept things too moist??

[Jane]

I have also noticed this for the first time today in a patch of G. Cedric's Prolific. I had a quick look in the Snowdrop book and it mentioned grey mould Botrytis galanthina. It say's wet winters and snow damage start it off. It mentions treatment with a fungicide, no name given. It has left me with quite a few gaps, if I wanted to fill them would I have to remove the soil first, just in case?
Thanks
Jane

[Paddy Tobin]

Jane,

The weather conditions we have experienced this spring would have contributed to a development of such a mould with heavy frosts and snow damaging new growth leaving shoots mushy and open to infection. I think any general fungicide would be helpful perhaps something like Dithane with is usually used on potatoes and is available in larger quantities at a reasonable price. There is another which I have used on potatoes which is quite effective on plants which have already become infected, used on potatoes where blight has already begun to show. This one is named Brestin, to the best of  my recollection as I haven't used it in several years - prevention is better than cure.

Paddy.

[mark smyth]

I found an infected Cedric's Prolific today and some dodgy limp Narcissus leaves. All Galanthus and Narcissus spayed today with fungicide

[Jane]

Thaks Paddy, I shall have to try and get hold of Dithane to give the patch a going over.
Jane

[jomowi]

On the basis of my experience I suggest a drench round the stems with a systemic fungicide or an  anti damping off copper fungicide.  I think the problem starts in the sheath that protects the emerging stems and starts to die when its job is done.

[Lesley Cox]

I quite agree with Brian that a drenching rather than a spraying would serve better. The soil as well as the plants would be treated by a drenching from a watering can of the fungicide. Once the stems/leaves have started their rotting, it's doubtful if a systemic spray would travel right through the plants from top to bulbs and roots, in order to control the problem.

[mark smyth]

I've saw problems in two gardens today where a mulch was added during the last week or so. I some cases leaves were partially buried. What's the purpose of the sheath on bulbs? Is it to protect leaf bases?

[David Quinton]

I have had Botrytis both this year and last year. Both attacks followed a 'wet' snowfall. I have been paying particular attention to the plants this year given last year's infection and they were OK until Sunday when I noticed a patch of nivalis with the flowers lying prostrate. A quick visual inspection showed the tell-tale signs of Botrytis.

I haven't applied any mulch, compost or feed of any kind. They have been fine up until last year. The infection last year got in to a number of choice bulbs but mainly infected nivalis with most of my nivalis bulbs showing some signs of damage. I treated them last year and the choice bulbs were removed and planted in pots. They have emerged unscathed this year and most are flowering. Most infected nivalis were removed and the soil replaced. This has cut down the severity so far but I fully expect this to get worse as the season progresses.

For me it is linked to the wet snowfall that we have experienced in the last week or so. The powdery snow that we had earlier in the year didn't seem to inflict any damage. I suspect that the snow acts as a blanket and the moist conditions under the snow allow the Botrytis to multiply and infect the bulbs. Next year I will spray following any wet snow and hopefully that will contain it.

[Brian Ellis]

Sadly this is what has happened to Pat Mason, possibly damage to the scape allowing botyrtis in.

[Martin Baxendale]

I've saw problems in two gardens today where a mulch was added during the last week or so. I some cases leaves were partially buried. What's the purpose of the sheath on bulbs? Is it to protect leaf bases?

The sheath has no purpose once the leaves have expanded. It keeps the leaves held tight together as they push up through the soil, making them stronger together than they would be separately. I suppose it does help keep the leaves more upright once they're through the soil and so help them  rise above any other vegetation, to the light, but the main purpose is during the pushing up through the soil phase.

[Paddy Tobin]

Sadly this is what has happened to Pat Mason, possibly damage to the scape allowing botyrtis in.

Brian, that's particularly miserable indeed. The bulb may be fine though I suppose you will have to remove the damaged foliage lower down and drench with an anti-fungicide.

Best wishes with it, Paddy

[johnw]

Terrible luck Brian. I had much the same thing happen last autumn with Percy Picton. It started to flush out and the whole shoot fell over.  I suspect freeze damage in the pot in the UK.  I dug the bulb up last weekend and the only thing left was the central core. Doubly distressing as it was a replacement from a very reputable grower.

Great shots, especially Wasp.

Martin  - very interesting to learn about the sheath's role.

johnw

[Brian Ellis]

Terrible luck Brian. I had much the same thing happen last autumn with Percy Picton.  I dug the bulb up last weekend and the only thing left was the central core. Doubly distressing as it was a replacement from a very reputable grower.
johnw

I think your luck is far worse John, to have been smitten twice on one cultivar.  My Percy Picton had not put in an appearance for two years but has decided to come up and flower this year, cussed old .....