It sounds like botyritis (sp?) to me. I think the symptoms are dark at the soil line, wilting, and death. You can google it but I think there are sprays for it. If I remember correctly good air circulation helps prevent it.

But my class was a year ago, so I may be totally wrong. Sorry to hear of your trouble, anyhow, Kim!
Susan

I suspect what you have, Kim, is a case of Southern blight fungus Sclerotium rolfsii. According to the research at the University of Maryland this condition can be a serious problem in field-grown larkspur. The fungus remains in the upper inches of field soil and is only active during periods of hot weather when soil temperatures rise into the 70s. The fungus attacks the plant at the soil surface, causing a rapid wilt and crown rot of individual scattered plants in the field. Close inspection of wilting plants will find white whefts of mycelium on the stem, often webbing soil particles. The small (1/8 to 1/4") spherical, white to brown sclerotia are formed on stems and soil. Prescence of this sclerotia is diagnostic of Southern blight.

The management practices to reduce Southern blight would be:
1) Deep tillage, which buries the sclerotia and this will reduce the disease because the sclerotia require warmth and oxygen to grown. (I am assuming the area where you planted the larkspur wasn't tilled.)
2) Incorporating organic matter will help by promoting decay of the sclerotia during the fall, winter, and spring.
Wilting plants should be removed to reduce further increase of disease in the field. Fungicide controls and biological agents that decay the sclerotia are in development; however, not yet available.

Trish

Thanks for the responses thus far, any other's?
Ms Susan - it's possible for it to be botryitis (sp?) or some other soil born fungus as after posting the message I did a bunch of reading in various cut flower resources and although, they were seeded in raised soil and I've been holding back the water, we down here have been having some really out of season weather and it's possible with the warmer temps, higher humidity and now abundance of rain that my problems stem from fungal bodies.

Trish - there is absolutely no indication of white anything at the problem plants stems. I'm thinking some kind of fungal/viral problem, I was looking for specifics and possible specific solutions. The beds were tilled 6-8" and cleaned up after last sumnmer's plantings and then tilled again, so I don't know if that will affect the statement made by UofM

If it is fungal problem, anybody got advice on what reducion to uje

Thnaks for yor input Ceers Kiim

FWIW: Botrytis and Sclerotina are related fungi. Botrytis cinerea is the asexual state of Sclerotina. Both fungi are usually found when the season changes from winter to spring.

Botrytis blight is common on dahlia, fuchsia, geranium, poinsettia, pansy and lisianthus.

Sclerotinia crown rot, (which shows up as white to brown on stems), is found primarily on these cutflower varieties as stem or crown rot: lilies, wallflower, pansy, stock and larkspur.

Because we grow lilies, dahlias, lisianthus, stock and larkspur in hightunnels, we have to be constantly on the lookout for fungal disease.

From your post it sounds as if you are asking for a fungicide recommendation. We, of course, cannot do that. Affected plants are always immediately removed and properly destroyed as to not infect other plants.

If you have a Department of Agriculture or Extension Office of a university's Horticulture Department near, you should probably call or take a plant to them. We are fortunate to have both; and, these people are very helpful.

Trish

Trish
Thankyou so much for your second response. The info you provided is greatly appreciated. I think now that I re-read my message, I must have been falling asleep at the keyboard noting the time I typed it. I'm not sure what I was asking for in that last sentence. That's not normally like me, I learnt to touch-type when I was 18 yrs old then spent the next 12 years working with keyboards so I'm no beginner.

I may have been asking if there was anything (chemical product) that can be applied to the soil to prevent or slow down the problem.?
I have been removing the affected plants as I find them.
Sun's shining again so hopefully the ground'll dry out a bit b/4 the next lot of rain.
Thanks again Trish.
Cheers - Kim