Basil - sudden wilting

[Buff Shallots]

I've had this happen many times in the past few years. Perfectly healthy looking basil plants just all of a sudden developing a wilt. Not a "water me now" kind of wilt, a disease type wilt.

It just happened this week to some "Pesto Perpetuo" basil plants that I hadn't even unpotted and put in the garden yet.

Anybody else have this happen?

 

[patandchickens]

It sounds concerningly like <pause while Pat tries to remember name> <pause while Pat gives up and goes and gets the Richter's catalog> fusarium wilt, which apparently is becoming a big problem with large scale commercially produced basil at least:

Quoting from their 2007 catalog: "Fusarium oxysporum is a fungal disease that attacks basil causing sudden wilting of leaves and death of plants. It is a serious problem for commercial growers who have seen entire fields wiped out by the disease. Soils remain contaminated even if basil is not replanted. The fungus spreads easily by contact, especially at harvest time. It also spreads by contaminated seeeds. There is no cure once the fungus attacks. If symptoms of sudden wilting or defoliation should occur, remove infected plants and destroy, and do not replant in contaminated soil or use contaminated equipment. The bes strategy is to plant fusarium-resistant varieties." (All of Richters basil seeds are supposed to be certified fusarium-free, but of course once it hits your soil all bets are off)

Dunno, but it does sound suggestive :/

Good luck,

Pat, actually driving over to Richter's in about a half hour as soon as Sesame Street is over to get some basil because I do not seem to have started any yet this year, sigh (e.t.a. and of course I'm sure I'll come home with various other stuff that i happened to brush against in the greenhouse and it smelled nice )

 

[Buff Shallots]

Pat, as is your custom, you are always a source of good information. Your Richters quote sounds on the money. I suspected some systemic disease thing, and fusarium fits the bill. I did throw away the two recent failed pots (although it did go against my thrifty nature to throw away potting soil!). Your article supported that practice.

I'll just keep trying with basil, as there's nothing I can do about it except grow my own from seed. I do have some lemon basil 'Mrs. Burns' I started from seed. I'll see how that makes it through the season, since as far as I can figure, there'd be no link unless the seeds were contaminated.

Thank you again Pat, have a good afternoon.
Buff