I have crocodile snapdragons planted in 10 inch
hanging baskets (4 plugs per basket). They are
blooming well and all looked good until this
week when I noticed a few baskets had a couple
of plants which were wilted even though the soil
was moist. I suspect it is a root problem, although I did use ProMix soil with biofungicide
so I wonder what happened. Any ideas? Thanks.
Gillie

gillie -

Have you checked the health of the roots? Typically if the soil is moist but plants are wilting it is an indication that the roots are not functioning properly. Root rotting diseases such as Pythium can damage the roots and inhibit the uptake of water. Drenching with a fungicide that treats for Pythium and allowing the plants to dry more between irrigations will help. If the root zone is too cold root function can also be compromised causing the plants to wilt. Sometimes if plants are grown on the floor in a cooler greenhouse a cold root zone temperature will cause the plants to wilt.

Fungus gnats are also a common pest on snapdragons and the larva can feed on the roots and stems which will also inhibit the uptake of water. Are there adult fungus gnats present? If so, choose a chemical that targets the larva.

For a list of chemicals labeled for diseases and insects on snapdragons consult our: Disease and Insect Control Charts.
Please be sure to consult individual labels and keep in mind that repeated applications in a rotation of different chemical classes is usually necessary for good suppression.