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.

rnewste · December 29, 2011

You might want to give Rapid Rooters a try:

I started my seeds in them 8 days ago on Dec 21. Here they are today:

I keep them on a heat mat as well as in their dome cover at night:

I've lost perhaps one or 2 to damping off over the years.

Raybo

VC Scott · December 29, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by b54red

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.

I bought the same starter and just planted 20 Brandywine Cowlick's a few weeks ahead of when I plan to do my major planting. I hope I don't end up with the same problem. Will let you know.

**mdvpc** · December 29, 2011

B

What about trying a dilute peroxide solution? I use that in my hydro system in starting tomatoes and it seems to have helped.

b54red · December 30, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by VC Scott

I bought the same starter and just planted 20 Brandywine Cowlick's a few weeks ahead of when I plan to do my major planting. I hope I don't end up with the same problem. Will let you know.

I don't think it is just the seed starter. I have had this problem for years with different mixes. It may be just the damp cool weather hitting just after the seedlings come up. This seems to be much more of a problem during the winter than during the summer.

Keiththibodeaux · December 30, 2011

Next time, as soon as you see it, water with a weak Chamomile tea solution. I have used it and it works well.

maf · December 30, 2011

Try mixing 30% (or more) perlite in with the potting mix, it would be hard to get damping off in a mixture that free draining.

habitat_gardener · December 30, 2011

I sprinkle cinnamon on the surface of the soil after I've planted the seeds. Cinnamon is an antifungal.

amideutch · December 30, 2011

Red, next time give "Jump Starts" a chance. Nice thing about them is there made of Finnish Spagnum and when you put your water into the tray to expand them add a little Actinovate to the water. Once they sprout go ahead and bottom water them. The Rapid Rooters work well also but they be a little more expensive. 81 Pellet greenhouse is $13.95. Ami

http://homeharvest.com/seedstartingrootingmedium.htm

**carolyn137** · December 30, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by habitat_gardener

I sprinkle cinnamon on the surface of the soil after I've planted the seeds. Cinnamon is an antifungal.

Just noting that years ago when I was still posting in the AOL tomato Forum the subject of cinnamon came up as a way to discourage damping off.

it really depends on the mix being used for seed starting, artifical mix being the best b'c it has few to no spores for the three genera and species known to be involved in damping off, but one of the persons posting offered to do some controlled studies with cinnamon using different seed starting media and different brands of cinnamon.

She planted the same tomato seeds for all the studies she did and had controls for every one of them and her conclusion was that cinnamon, while yes, being known to be an anti-fungal was not effective in preventing damping off.

Garlic is also an anti-fungal and I have yet to see anyone saying they saturated their planting mix with garlic juice.

habitat_gardener · January 4, 2012

That's interesting! I haven't lost any seedlings to damping off. Could it be the placebo effect?

This year, I noticed some fuzziness on the stems of one or two of my 1-inch seedlings (beans or tomatoes) and sprinkled heavily with cinnamon -- not damping off, but it did look fungal. The fuzziness was gone in the next day or two. I had about 3 half-flats going at the time, and they were staying fairly moist because I had a combination of not-yet-germinated and recently-up pots. I was also watering with a weak seaweed solution (a capful in a gallon of water).

I'll have to try garlic juice next time

.

b54red · February 26, 2012

I have now done 5 starts of tomato seeds and 4 of pepper seeds.

My first big start was a total loss with only 3 seedlings surviving out of 72 different varieties started with at least 6 seeds of each.

My second start of 36 varieties gave me a good many seedlings but I did lose well over half of all varieties to damping off.

My third and fourth plantings were total flops with great germination but devastating damping off. I may get a couple of seedlings that may survive but it's not looking good.

My fourth planting is now mostly up and looking great but this is when they usually get hit by damping off so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for those 30 varieties.

I planted my fifth bunch of tomato seed a couple of days ago.

We have been having rain every day or two with high humidity and it has been impossible to keep the surface of the planting medium dry with the constant high humidity. I would love a week or two with no rain and lower humidity to give these latter plantings a good start. This has been the worst year for damping off that I have experienced in over 30 years of starting my own seeds. Three years ago it was really bad because of frequent spring rains but the humidity wasn't as high and since then I have gone to great pains to sterilize everything and use only fresh starting mix but this year it has been more than a little frustrating. I will still have plenty of plants for my garden and to give away but the variety will be lacking at least in the early plantings.

dipchip2000 · February 26, 2012

Bill

I keep a small box fan running at lowest speed for two weeks after they sprout. The air movement seems to help prevent damping off. I only lost one, and I sowed on january 14th. I used the Jiffy Germinating mix which was all I could find so early. I planted 10 plants out in a raised bed yesterday and covered with plastic. I have never planted so early but like you said why not try. I will plant remainder of beds in mid to late March.

ron

goodwin · February 26, 2012

Yes, this is a strange year. I'm thinking it is warming so fast, why not start a few very early.
I would second the use of a fan - sure seems to help and the plants are real stout.

b54red · February 27, 2012

I have had a fan running the whole time but it has not worked to keep them dry except for a short time when we were having very sunny dry weather. I have used 3 different seed starting mixes Miracle Grow, Jiffy and No Damp Off, with the same results. I am beginning to think the constant moving air created by the fan is increasing the incidence of the damping off getting on my plantings. I don't see any other way that it could be getting on my young sprouts since I am using new sterile planting mix, sterilized containers and sterilized water (either boiled or distilled). I am starting everything on an enclosed porch and my greenhouse. I guess the only way I could remedy the problem is to bring them into the house where the climate is controlled and the humidity is low; but that is not practical so I guess I will keep muddling along and replanting until the humidity drops a bit. I have plenty of seed saved so the biggest downside is the fact that a lot of the varieties that really need an early start will not get it this year.

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.

December 29, 2011	#4
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	B What about trying a dilute peroxide solution? I use that in my hydro system in starting tomatoes and it seems to have helped. __________________ Michael

December 30, 2011	#9
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	Red, next time give "Jump Starts" a chance. Nice thing about them is there made of Finnish Spagnum and when you put your water into the tray to expand them add a little Actinovate to the water. Once they sprout go ahead and bottom water them. The Rapid Rooters work well also but they be a little more expensive. 81 Pellet greenhouse is $13.95. Ami http://homeharvest.com/seedstartingrootingmedium.htm __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!' Last edited by amideutch; December 31, 2011 at 09:19 AM.

January 4, 2012	#11
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,543	That's interesting! I haven't lost any seedlings to damping off. Could it be the placebo effect? This year, I noticed some fuzziness on the stems of one or two of my 1-inch seedlings (beans or tomatoes) and sprinkled heavily with cinnamon -- not damping off, but it did look fungal. The fuzziness was gone in the next day or two. I had about 3 half-flats going at the time, and they were staying fairly moist because I had a combination of not-yet-germinated and recently-up pots. I was also watering with a weak seaweed solution (a capful in a gallon of water). I'll have to try garlic juice next time.

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December 29, 2011	#2
rnewste Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Campbell, CA Posts: 4,064	You might want to give Rapid Rooters a try: I started my seeds in them 8 days ago on Dec 21. Here they are today: I keep them on a heat mat as well as in their dome cover at night: I've lost perhaps one or 2 to damping off over the years. Raybo

December 30, 2011	#6
Keiththibodeaux Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Louisiana Posts: 587	Next time, as soon as you see it, water with a weak Chamomile tea solution. I have used it and it works well.

December 30, 2011	#7
maf Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: England Posts: 512	Try mixing 30% (or more) perlite in with the potting mix, it would be hard to get damping off in a mixture that free draining.

February 26, 2012	#12
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I have now done 5 starts of tomato seeds and 4 of pepper seeds. My first big start was a total loss with only 3 seedlings surviving out of 72 different varieties started with at least 6 seeds of each. My second start of 36 varieties gave me a good many seedlings but I did lose well over half of all varieties to damping off. My third and fourth plantings were total flops with great germination but devastating damping off. I may get a couple of seedlings that may survive but it's not looking good. My fourth planting is now mostly up and looking great but this is when they usually get hit by damping off so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for those 30 varieties. I planted my fifth bunch of tomato seed a couple of days ago. We have been having rain every day or two with high humidity and it has been impossible to keep the surface of the planting medium dry with the constant high humidity. I would love a week or two with no rain and lower humidity to give these latter plantings a good start. This has been the worst year for damping off that I have experienced in over 30 years of starting my own seeds. Three years ago it was really bad because of frequent spring rains but the humidity wasn't as high and since then I have gone to great pains to sterilize everything and use only fresh starting mix but this year it has been more than a little frustrating. I will still have plenty of plants for my garden and to give away but the variety will be lacking at least in the early plantings.

February 26, 2012	#13
dipchip2000 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Muskogee, Oklahoma Posts: 664	Bill I keep a small box fan running at lowest speed for two weeks after they sprout. The air movement seems to help prevent damping off. I only lost one, and I sowed on january 14th. I used the Jiffy Germinating mix which was all I could find so early. I planted 10 plants out in a raised bed yesterday and covered with plastic. I have never planted so early but like you said why not try. I will plant remainder of beds in mid to late March. ron

February 26, 2012	#14
goodwin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Espanola, New Mexico Posts: 608	Yes, this is a strange year. I'm thinking it is warming so fast, why not start a few very early. I would second the use of a fan - sure seems to help and the plants are real stout.

February 27, 2012	#15
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I have had a fan running the whole time but it has not worked to keep them dry except for a short time when we were having very sunny dry weather. I have used 3 different seed starting mixes Miracle Grow, Jiffy and No Damp Off, with the same results. I am beginning to think the constant moving air created by the fan is increasing the incidence of the damping off getting on my plantings. I don't see any other way that it could be getting on my young sprouts since I am using new sterile planting mix, sterilized containers and sterilized water (either boiled or distilled). I am starting everything on an enclosed porch and my greenhouse. I guess the only way I could remedy the problem is to bring them into the house where the climate is controlled and the humidity is low; but that is not practical so I guess I will keep muddling along and replanting until the humidity drops a bit. I have plenty of seed saved so the biggest downside is the fact that a lot of the varieties that really need an early start will not get it this year.