Antirrhinums

[valmarg]

I have grown the seed, pricked them out into trays, eveything looked healthy, but all of a sudden the plants are wilting.  Pulling them out of the compost they have no root, and the base of the plant has gone brown.  What is the problem with them?

Can anyone help, please?

valmarg

[valmarg]

[DJEM]

Sounds like they've damped off.
It's a fungal disease (strictly speaking not really a fungus) caused by Phytophthera.
Not much you can do now if all the seedlings are affected, but if healthy ones remain you could transplant them to fresh compost and water with Cheshunt compound.

Dave

[valmarg]

Sorry DGEM not to have replied earlier to your posting, but the problem I have is quite weird,  I have germinated the seeds in a tray, pricked them out into larger trays.  When I pricked the seedlings out they had a good white root system.  All of a sudden the plants are keeling over.  When I pull an affected plant out of the compost it has a brown stump, rather than any roots.

Is it possible that the scaria-whatsistsname fly has anything to do with it, as we do seem to be troubled with it?

It just seems so strange that this is the only annual I have grown this year to have been affected.

valmarg

[Robert_Brenchley]

It does sound like damping off; I lost a few of my sweetcorn seedlings the same way. Are they in a stagnant atmosphere? If so that's supposed to contribute to the problem.

[MrsKP]

some clever person on here also suggested sprinkling cinammon powder to stop the rot.  i've only tried it on a tray of lobelia but nothing else seems to have keeled over since i tried it and what was left has come on a treat.

[valmarg]

Thanks Mrs KP, I will cretainly give the cinnamon treatment a try.

As I sow seed into quarter trays, damping off usually occurs before I prick the seedlings out.  As I said previously, the seedlings seemed very healthy, and all of a sudden , once pricked out,  started to keel over.  What seedlings that are left will be given the cinnamon treatment

Thanks very much for your help and suggestions.

Best wishes,

valmarg