Bulb basal rot

DISEASE
When it's active · UK
When it's active · Northern Italy
When it's active · Central Italy
When it's active · Southern Italy and islands

How to recognise it

Soft, brown, foul-smelling rot starting at the base (root plate) of a bulb, causing failure to produce healthy growth.

Life cycle and conditions

A fungal disease favoured by waterlogged soil and storage in damp, poorly ventilated conditions.

Prevention

Ensure sharp drainage at planting; store any lifted bulbs somewhere cool, dry and well ventilated.

How to treat it

🌿 ORGANIC · RECOMMENDED

Discard affected bulbs and improve drainage/storage conditions for the rest — prevention is genuinely the whole strategy for this disease.

🧪 CHEMICAL · IF YOU CHOOSE

No effective treatment exists once a bulb is infected, chemical or otherwise — discarding affected bulbs and improving conditions is the only real response.

PLANTS MOST AFFECTED
NarcissusTulipaother bulbs