Garden Q&A: Why are my annuals withering?

Q:  A few of my annuals are withering. The leaves just collapsed and wilted. When I water, nothing recovers. Are they a lost cause?

A:  This sounds like root rot, unfortunately, which would indeed mean that those individual plants are a lost cause. Wilting can be caused by under-watering and dry roots or over-watering and soggy roots. When the roots fail to function properly, whether due to dryness or when excess water drives air out of the soil, they can’t supply the top growth with moisture, so the foliage wilts.