Tried a very early start

b54red · December 29, 2011

I tried starting some seed in my greenhouse back around the first week in December to see if I could get a really early start on some varieties. I had near 100 % germination and they looked great and then we had 5 or 6 days of rainy and cloudy cool weather and damping off got nearly every one of them. The soil was kept very dry yet they still got it. I used all new cups and a brand new bag of starting mix. Only kind I could find this early was Miracle Grow. I really hate damping off.

I guess I'll start over again tomorrow. It will be with a new starter mix that I ordered online that is supposed to prevent damping off. I sure hope it works because I am beginning to think there is no way to avoid the stuff short of treating the starter mix with a bleach solution. I have done that and it will work but it can be rough on very small seedlings. I'm beginning to think it is in our water supply. Maybe I should use distilled water only until the plants get large enough to pot up; but that will be a lot of trouble and costly.

December 29, 2011	#1
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Tried a very early start I tried starting some seed in my greenhouse back around the first week in December to see if I could get a really early start on some varieties. I had near 100 % germination and they looked great and then we had 5 or 6 days of rainy and cloudy cool weather and damping off got nearly every one of them. The soil was kept very dry yet they still got it. I used all new cups and a brand new bag of starting mix. Only kind I could find this early was Miracle Grow. I really hate damping off. I guess I'll start over again tomorrow. It will be with a new starter mix that I ordered online that is supposed to prevent damping off. I sure hope it works because I am beginning to think there is no way to avoid the stuff short of treating the starter mix with a bleach solution. I have done that and it will work but it can be rough on very small seedlings. I'm beginning to think it is in our water supply. Maybe I should use distilled water only until the plants get large enough to pot up; but that will be a lot of trouble and costly.