Sedum turning black and dying?

eclark · 10-05-2012, 09:19 AM

I tore out the bushes and planted a bed in the front of my house about 6 weeks ago - they look great except for one sedum plant, which started turning black at the flowers and is now spreading around the flowers and even down the stem. When it was just the flowers I figured it was a little bit of shock and the plant would recover, but since it's now spreading down the stem I'm a little more concerned. The one in the upper bed looks great, but the one in the lower bed is the one having trouble. Would it's lavender neighbors be causing trouble? I heard after I was done that they tend to acidify the soil.

jimleigh1313 · 10-05-2012, 12:00 PM

Could it be this?

Leaf Blotch

Leaf blotch or botrytis is a gray mold attacking sedum leaves and flowers. The mold causes the formation of dark round blotches with leaves and flowers turning brown and eventually dying. All diseased plant parts should be removed and thrown away. A plant that's totally infected should be destroyed. Infected plants can be sprayed with a fungicide that's sulfur or copper based. According to Yardener.com, two applications should be given, five days apart.

Read more: Diseases of the Sedum Plant | Garden Guides http://www.gardenguides.com/89455-di...#ixzz28ROpl3BB

eclark · 10-05-2012, 01:58 PM

Maybe I should give it a try. Have you had any experience with the fungicides? I wonder if the plant is too far gone already? Knock on wood my plants have always been pretty healthy do this is my first time with any of this

jimleigh1313 · 10-05-2012, 02:20 PM

I have not. But I do know that you want to be extra careful with a fungus and pray that it doesn't spread to your healthy plants. I would research that a little more to see if there are any other signs that it is a fungus before eradicating them though.

chrisn · 10-05-2012, 05:02 PM

I sure would not worry about applying a fungicide at this time of year. All is going to be under snow soon enough( or at leat forzen, maybe). Wait till spring.

sdsester · 10-06-2012, 07:44 PM

If this is new plant material, the plants may have been sick when you got them and especially if you did not get them from a reputable nursery. I would stake you claim for a credit to replace them sooner rather than later otherwise weather will be considered to be to blame whether it is or not. Any chance your are either overwatering or over fertilizing?

eclark · 10-09-2012, 05:14 PM

unlikely that the plant was over fertilized or over-watered on my watch. I put it in the ground in Sept (i think) and it's been rainy but my soil is pretty much straight sand. I added humus and decomposed manure, but not a ton since most of the plants I got like it sandy anyway. If i get some time this week I'll head back to the nursery it came from. They're local, but big enough that I would think they'd rather replace it or give me some kind of credit than have me as an unhappy customer.