Damping Off

b54red · March 18, 2012

I can vouch for what Carolyn is saying. I once used a seed starting mix that had so much surface mold I couldn't even see the mix yet I had no damping off even though the seeds looked like they were growing out of totally moldy bread. This year keeping the surface dry with 3 different brands of seed starting mix and no surface mold I was plagued by damping off. For me weather conditions seem to be the biggest contributor to damping off. When we have cool, cloudy weather with 100% humidity I almost always have a problem. When it is bright and sunny with lower humidity it seems to almost never appear. Of course I am using a greenhouse so I have very little climate control.

Surprisingly I have had as much damping off with high end soil less seed starting mixes as with regular potting soil. I still go with the seed starting mixes because they are more uniform and easier to use.

March 18, 2012	#17
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I can vouch for what Carolyn is saying. I once used a seed starting mix that had so much surface mold I couldn't even see the mix yet I had no damping off even though the seeds looked like they were growing out of totally moldy bread. This year keeping the surface dry with 3 different brands of seed starting mix and no surface mold I was plagued by damping off. For me weather conditions seem to be the biggest contributor to damping off. When we have cool, cloudy weather with 100% humidity I almost always have a problem. When it is bright and sunny with lower humidity it seems to almost never appear. Of course I am using a greenhouse so I have very little climate control. Surprisingly I have had as much damping off with high end soil less seed starting mixes as with regular potting soil. I still go with the seed starting mixes because they are more uniform and easier to use.