Hello Tucker,

Thank you for reaching out the the UVM Master Gardener Extension. To quote our local expert in plant pathology when she looked at your pictures, Ann Hazlerigg posted, "definitely a root and crown rot. Could be fusarium (not the same as fusarium wilt) or I often find rhizoctonia. Both are common soil borne fungi that can cause problems earlier in the season when the soil was cool and wet. Pull out and start with new plants and (now) warmer soil." Another expert also suggests a crown and root rot and gives this link as a resource. ttps://ag.purdue.edu/department/btny/ppdl/potw-dept-folder/2022/fusarim-crown-rot.html

The reason we know it is a fungal wilt, is that it starts from the ground up. Since the other plants weren't affected, it was probably a result of the wet spring, before we got the heat wave. What I wonder is if the plants that were affected were near each other or were they spread out. A suggestion might be, if you are worried, you could solarize the areas where you pulled the plants out before planting some new plants. A good practice is to keep compost away from the base of the plants. Thank you for reaching out to the extension.