Thank you all. The sleepers were put in in 2017. I can only assume the landscaper used treated ones.
This particular bed was planted last summer, and there were no problems. It contains achillea, echinacea, and Kniphofia popsicle. The achillea was the first to go, followed echinacea. The Kniphofia appears to be coping despite the white stuff all around is base, and a few browning leaves. After the beds were first filled, the soil levels had sank a bit so before planting last year we topped up with compost, perhaps we overdid it. I’m not sure how to know if the drainage is good other than the fact the soil never waterlogs. But it was rainy at the start of summer. The landscaper has done a good job with drainage overall, and the garden it is not sat on clay (like our last one). The bed in which this is happening is identical to another one about 2 metres away also containing achillea and echinacea. That bed seems to be doing fine.
Based on what you say and the plants you are growing I think you need to avoid making your soil so rich. Less feeding, use top soil or John Innes no 2 or 3 if you need to top up.
Identical planting schemes next to each other or opposite each other can sometimes perform differently so I would not immediately think the fungus is responsible unless everything is dying within a year. Kniphofia are quite tough plants. Can’t comment on Echinaceas but based on how I’ve seen them grow when I visit gardens and parks, they need to be grown in big groups in free draining soil.
It’s back! So we followed advice to empty the bed and refill with topsoil. That was done early March. On digging it out we observed that the fungus was really only in the top layer of soil, not deep at all. Everything was going well until when I noticed the first wilting stems in early June. It’s following exactly the same pattern as last year. I’m really sure it is the fungus killing the plants and not the fungus coming to an already dying plant. I’m also sure it’s coming from the sleepers as I can see bits between the wood and the lining. Any new suggestions please on how to handle it!?
I have no idea.. I've seen it before on rotten wood in the forest, etc.. but never taking over plants. Personally, I would be tempted to use something like a liquid copper fungicide in a few select areas (not your entire garden, yet) and see how that works out. I've never used it before or know if it will work.. but it sounds like you've tried lots of other things already.
If it is coming from the sleepers your only way forward may be to replace them. I had two wooden half barrels that had large plants in them. One of them suddenly developed a type of mushroom fungus. I tried various treatments but eventually just had to get rid of it as it kept coming back. Funnily enough it was the one in the sun not the one in the shade, you would sort of expect it to be the other way round.
If it is coming from the sleepers your only way forward may be to replace them. I had two wooden half barrels that had large plants in them. One of them suddenly developed a type of mushroom fungus. I tried various treatments but eventually just had to get rid of it as it kept coming back. Funnily enough it was the one in the sun not the one in the shade, you would sort of expect it to be the other way round.
Same here, ours are in full sun, south facing.
I hope it doesn’t come to replacing the sleepers 💰💰💰😩
I have no idea.. I've seen it before on rotten wood in the forest, etc.. but never taking over plants. Personally, I would be tempted to use something like a liquid copper fungicide in a few select areas (not your entire garden, yet) and see how that works out. I've never used it before or know if it will work.. but it sounds like you've tried lots of other things already.
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The sleepers were put in in 2017. I can only assume the landscaper used treated ones.
It contains achillea, echinacea, and Kniphofia popsicle. The achillea was the first to go, followed echinacea. The Kniphofia appears to be coping despite the white stuff all around is base, and a few browning leaves.
After the beds were first filled, the soil levels had sank a bit so before planting last year we topped up with compost, perhaps we overdid it.
I’m not sure how to know if the drainage is good other than the fact the soil never waterlogs. But it was rainy at the start of summer. The landscaper has done a good job with drainage overall, and the garden it is not sat on clay (like our last one).
The bed in which this is happening is identical to another one about 2 metres away also containing achillea and echinacea. That bed seems to be doing fine.
So we followed advice to empty the bed and refill with topsoil. That was done early March.
On digging it out we observed that the fungus was really only in the top layer of soil, not deep at all.
Everything was going well until when I noticed the first wilting stems in early June. It’s following exactly the same pattern as last year.
I’m really sure it is the fungus killing the plants and not the fungus coming to an already dying plant. I’m also sure it’s coming from the sleepers as I can see bits between the wood and the lining.
Any new suggestions please on how to handle it!?
I’m wondering if it’s sclerotinia??