Foot and root rot

Symptoms - The 'foot' of the plant is at the base of the stem. Foot rot affects herbaceous perennials in which decay starts at the foot or the base and works its way upwards. Although the main impact is on the roots and stem base, the first sign of damage is usually indicated by yellow, wilting leaves that appear smaller than usual. If you pull the plant out of the ground the roots may appear feeble, black or decayed.