Treating Cone Flowers for Blackening and Death - Ask Extension
For the second year in a row, coneflowers in one location in my garden is turning dark brown(black) and dying. How can I bring them back to health?...
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Treating Cone Flowers for Blackening and Death #800860
Asked July 13, 2022, 9:34 AM EDT
For the second year in a row, coneflowers in one location in my garden is turning dark brown(black) and dying. How can I bring them back to health?
I just removed the brown stems, leaves and flowers and treated the soil around the remaining healthy portion of the. clump, with Mikro-Root because it has strains of Trichoderma - Trichoderma harzianum and Trichoderma viride...
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
Hi!
Your coneflowers could be suffering from southern blight. Wilting and total collapse of the plant is one of the first signs of it. Check the base of the base of the plant for white strands of fungus like those seen our our Southern Blight page. You did the right thing by removing the top of the plant. It usually does not kill the root system, so your coneflowers should come back next year. Keep the area on the dry side, rake back mulch that could get too moist and favor mycellium growth. We do not recommend treating Southern Blight, as treatment after the fact won't do anything. You can preventatively spray next year to prevent a reoccurrence.
Jamie
