On 04/10/2011 11:03, stuart noble wrote:
Can anyone suggest a reason why about 10% of my violas just drop dead
overnight after a couple of weeks of what seems like healthy growth?
Often it's just one in a line of half a dozen. Most are in semi shade so
they haven't been fried by the Indian summer or allowed to dry out.
I'm wondering whether plug plants can become plug bound in some way if
they put on too much growth too quickly.
I grow them every year and have never had this problem before, so any
thoughts appreciated


I've certainly known plug plants fail because, in the case of herbaceous
plants, the roots can't sufficiently escape the thin fibre pot or, in
the case of shrubs, the roots have been strangled by slotted plastic
pots which are invisible on purchase because the nursery has potted them
on - complete with straitjacket! - into 1ltr or 2ltr pots.

However, I have just lost one of two pots of viola. Both were a bit
dry, but in the shade. One perked up immediately when watered, the
other didn't:~(. Knowing how strong viola roots are (even in dry
conditions), I was astonished and very disappointed. I did wonder if
anything else could have harmed it, but there was no sign of pest,
disease or mould.

It sounds as if you have bought a largeish batch of plug-grown violas?
Knowing that the bedding industry has suffered big losses over recent
years (re petunia types and impatiens), I'm wondering if this is a
similar case? Maybe you should contact the nursery and ask if yours is
the only problem case.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay