Sickly Bottle Gentian

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Chillybean (Zone 5a) May 09, 2016

We planted three Bottle Gentian (Gentiana andrewsii) dormant bare roots last fall. They all have received about the same watering. Mostly just rain, but on occasion when we were dry I gave them some. They all have come up, but one looks rather ill: stunted growth, lighter green and spotty.

I've seen a type of mildew on some of my native plants in other areas, but that usually shows up later in the season, so it doesn't effect the growth or flowering too much.

The first image is one of the healthy plants and the other is my sick one. This is in one of my dryer spots and on the south side of the house. Does anyone know what it might be?

Thank you for any help.

Thumbnail by Chillybean Thumbnail by Chillybean
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Loretta_NJ Pequannock, NJ(Zone 6b) May 31, 2016

I don't have the answer but here are a few things to consider.
Take out this gentian and if you don't throw it out, move it far away from your other healthy gentian. Pull back the wood mulch away from the plant bases and give it some air circulation. When you dig it up and check the root situation. See if they are rotting or if there is something living in the same space such as ants for example or aphids.

Do you grow cucumbers? It seems that gentian can get cucumber mosaic virus. Also Tobacco Rattle Virus and a couple others you can see at the link below. I can't tell you if all species are at risk.

http://www.actahort.org/books/722/722_18.htm

Hope this helps a little.

Post #10231278
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Chillybean (Zone 5a) Jun 23, 2016

I ended up calling the company I bought the plants from. Their suggestion was to move the healthy ones to a different area where they can get more air flow, since they do not get a lot where they were.

The sickly one ended up dying, but the other two are on the east side of the house. That area is neglected for the time being while the Barn Swallows are nesting, but I take a peak over there now and again and they look good... the Gentians, too. :)

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Loretta_NJ Pequannock, NJ(Zone 6b) Jun 23, 2016

That's good. I find often when you buy multiples of one plant mail order, they always get rid of a dud in the mix. I'm not saying they did that but maybe.

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