Damping Off

[b54red]

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.

[MarinaRussian]

Ok, I feel much better knowing that this fungus is not lethal. That explains why the seedlings still look pretty good. I sprayed the surface with the hp solution, anyway. No more watering for a few days, I promise.

I knew that it's not damping off, I only had one pepper seedling die because of it this year. Just didn't know where to post. I really appreciate the help.

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by troad

Dice,
Thanks for the info. I wondered if I could get away with using the peroxide mix from the beginning. I started some more seeds with plain water then sprayed the pellets with the peroxide mix hoping the seeds would not be harmed. Several seeds have come up so i 'll see if I have done enough to protect them.
This is the first year I have ever had a damping problem. I guess I will follow your lead and use a peroxide solution when I start my seeds and water them as they grow.
Have you tried the chamomile tea as an aid? I wonder if it can be used in the same way from the beginning like you use the peroxide?
Len

I've heard you can soak seeds in chamomile tea to help with sprouting if they are old or dried out so I'm pretty sure you could use it from the start.
I have learned the hard way to use new, fresh, unopened starting pellets or starting mix. Or, if using old stuff, make sure you sterilize it in the oven. Too much trouble so I just use fresh.
I've had great success this year with the Jiffy pellets, not using the plastic covers for the 72 cell trays, except for the tray that I rehydrated 4-5 times, left outside and didn't plant for over a month. That's the one that got fungus growth.
Good to know there are a lot of non-lethal molds. I didn't lose any of my seedlings in this flat to damping off, so I'm not surprised.
It seemed like the most important thing was getting them out in sunshine and wind, if that's a possible option.

[Raffles]

I could be wrong but I think sunshine is one of the best preventatives for damping off. My flats are out on the porch at the moment.

I tend to keep the house fairly cool and that has caused problems in the past if I let the soil stay too damp.

All in all it's all a gamble. Just part of the adventure I suppose.

[troad]

Tracy,
Started another group of seeds in Jiffy pellets and have lots of new seedlings already. There has not been a lot of sunshine here yet but was able to get them out for a little while twice . As you and Raffles said the sunshine is the best preventative. So far so good. Always something new to deal with and learn from each year. Thankfully lots of information available here and good people willing to help.
Len

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by troad

Tracy,
Started another group of seeds in Jiffy pellets and have lots of new seedlings already. There has not been a lot of sunshine here yet but was able to get them out for a little while twice . As you and Raffles said the sunshine is the best preventative. So far so good. Always something new to deal with and learn from each year. Thankfully lots of information available here and good people willing to help.
Len

A different viewpoint here?

What matters is if you have one or more of the three genera and species of the fungi that can cause damping off in the mix that you use to start seeds. They are NOT fungi that are normally found in the air or embedded in raindrops like so many others.

Soilless mixes have the least, potting mixes have the most of these damping off fungi.

And amongst soilless mixes there are differences as well and that can vary from batch to batch if you look at the ingredients in soilless mixes..

So you can have all the sunshine you want but when you water the sown seeds if those fungi are there, there's always the possibility that the spores will germinate.

And I did post above about chamomile tea not being effective in doing anything anti-fungal but that info has been out there in the literature so long that folks still refer to it.

Many years ago I used to use Jiffy Mix, but then they changed what they put into it, and I mean the bagged Jiffy Mix, and once I tried the jiffy pellets I never used them again. What I settled on was Farfard soilless mix.

Just don't keep the surface of seed pans, kits, etc moist and NEVER use anything that comes with a dome of any kind. It builds up too much heat and get cook seedlings and also keeps the environment around the new seedligns too darn moist. If you must use domes, just be sure to prop open one end and leave it open.

Better still is to keep a small fan going in the area where you have open seed pans, which I prefer, to keep the surface on the dry side.

Over the years I adopted many of the techniques that my commercial farmer friends used. THey were in business for money and didn't want to take chances, but I was the hobby grower who wasn't growing tomatoes for money, except during the periods when I sold fruits to several restaurants and consigned fruits to a large nursery, and didn't take back money, just credit for food and wine in most cases/

[rockhound]

Carolyn said:..."and didn't take back money, just credit for food and wine in most cases".
What an excellent way to do it! I just wish _I'D_ thought of it first.

[troad]

Carolyn,

Do you use the Farfard just to start seeds or do you pot up the plants with it too?