I'm having the same problem. Did you get any advice?

It sounds like you have a varmit under the soil. They like to eat the roots and leave the rest. Could be a vole, gopher or something of that nature.

it is I'm pretty sure Rhizoctonia crown rot, Rhizoctonia solani, it's a fungus. The same thing has been happening to my impatiens in one of my flower beds and I was looking for diseased that affect impatiens and found this and the pictures tell the story. I am now on the hunt to find something to get rid of it. This response may be too late, but now you have the solution for next year, because it seems like once it is there it will remain until you get rid of it. Hope this helps you.

I have potted impatiens which have been doing beautifully. They are in the front of my home near front door. Last night they were eaten like a huge giant woiuld eat a salad. Could it be groundhogs? If so what can I Do?

Thanks a b unch!

I bet you have grubs in the soil. Grubs eat the roots from the bottom up, they eat until about 1/4" from the top of the root. The plant looks like it's withering from loss of water, then just falls over on its side. You pick it up and there's just a little bit of root still attached.

I'm in Ohio and grubs are an absolute pain here. I used Nematodes from Gardens Alive and got rid of them. Look at their website and follow their application directions. They are natural microscopic critters and they eat the grubs. They are beneficial and at their application rates and dont seem to cause longer term problems.

I had to apply them for about two seasons - I did it in the spring and I havent had a problem since. You can get a feeling for how bad they are when you plant the annuals in the spring if you hit a lot you need to treat them.

THe house moved into had really bad soil and had never been planted. New garden locations can get infestations. Once you get a more healthy, organic base, it seems to be less of a problem.

I really is frustrating though - I hope this helps!

Just an update; my impatiens did have crown and root rot they were treated with a fugicide and all is well. I wish I would have figured this out earlier in the summer, I could have saved the majority of my flower bed. I asked what may have caused this and it was the combination of evening watering and hot summer nights. Basically don't water in the evening if the flower bed is not located in enough sun to dry it out otherwise the fugus will appear and once there attack each flower one by one until the whole bed is destroyed. At least I now know for next year and I won't be blaming the squirels for stopping on my flowers.

Could you please tell me which fungicide you used to successfully rid your flower beds of the crown and root rot n your impatiens?

Weppcat
You may want to try fungaway but I dont it would work for that. I dont know of anything that will really stop it. It is caused by the cold and damp. I have heard of sulfer helping for tuberous plants.

I am convinced my impatiens are disappearing due to a fungus. Nothing else makes any sense....I have thousands of impatiens in many beds front, side and back of my house. The areas that are dying comprise just a small part of only a few beds but when I replace them, in 3-5 days, they die but all the others are fine. It is not an issue of over watering or improper light. And it is warm in Fl so the ground is not cold. I have replanted over and over hoping that this time they will be OK, thinking for a long time that perhaps these were infected plants when I got them and a new batch would do the trick. It appears as though something in the soil in just those locations is eradicating them. I have used Seven Dust and diazinon to treat these areas but that did nothing. I have been plagued with this on and off for several years and finally am determined to find something that will help. So I sprayed ( soaked the ground) in these areas yesterday with a organic fungicide I got at Home Depot. Will let you know what happens.