Using fungicide on young seedlings

snappybob · February 2, 2012

I have young seedlings (2 weeks old) in my greenhouse and the weather has been very moist, soupy and rainy for a lot of that time. We've had a few days of sunshine and sometimes the sun breaks out late in the afternoon but I worry about a fungus infection in these conditions. I am very hesitant to spray such young seedlings with anything but I would hate to lose them as well. What, if anything, should I be using under these conditions. The seedlings look healthy. So far.
Thanks

GaryStPaul · February 2, 2012

I haven't had a case of damping off in years. I do two things that seem to prevent it, not sure which of the two is more effective: (1) gentle breeze wafting over seedlings from a small (computer) fan about 5" in diameter; (2) spray weekly with dilute chamomile tea (1 gal of boiling water on 4 or 5 tea bags; cool down and funnel into spray bottle). Gary

amideutch · February 2, 2012

Actinovate shouldn't bother them as it is an organic fungicide.
Or if you know anybody that makes colloidal silver that can help as well. I've used both on young seedlings with no adverse effects. Ami

rockhound · February 2, 2012

Keep a little air moving, as was said and water from the bottom without the surface getting soaking wet, JMHO.

b54red · February 2, 2012

Damping off seems to be carried in the air down here; but then we have very high humidity nearly all the time. Using sterile non soil planting mediums, distilled or boiled water when bottom feeding, keeping the surface dry, with a fan blowing over the seedlings and yet still get hit by damping off. It happened last time during a rainy spell with the humidity near 100%. The third day after the rains started I went out to inspect my plants I was shocked to see the change from the day before with nearly half of them showing some signs of damping off. I sprayed them with a dilute bleach spray making sure to wet the planting medium well and the ones that looked really sick died within hours but the rest seem to have recovered and are now just starting to put on true leaves.

I only resorted to the bleach because the first planting I tried the hydrogen peroxide and still lost all of my tomatoes and most of my peppers. I used a bleach solution half the strength I would use on a grown plant. I had to do this last year a couple of times and it seems to really stop damping off in its tracks but that doesn't mean it can't come back so I turn the fans on high after the spraying to quickly dry the surface in hopes of stopping a repeat. I used one ounce of bleach added to a quart of water. I don't know if a weaker solution would work or not. I have even thought of trying adding a very small amount to the distilled water when I water them from the bottom but I will have to test that out and see if it is detrimental to the seedlings health.

roamwhereiwant2 · February 2, 2012

I found that Actinovate stops damping off disease in its tracks. I lost my 1st set of starts last year. I started a 2nd set and ordered Actinovate (and Biotamax and Mycogrow as well) The 2nd group of seedling trays started strong but growth stopped and then seedlings starting dying. Hydrogen peroxide didn't help. It was a race to see whether the Actinovate would arrive in time to do anything. It finally came and I made up a solution and sprayed the nearly dead seedlings that evening. By the next day I could see a difference. It took 2 full weeks before they started to grow again.

I've already started crucifers, chard, kale, beets, leeks, early tomatoes, and lettuce and I drenched the soil in a solution of Actinovate. It's too early to tell if this will prevent damping off but it sure hasn't hurt any seedlings.

b54red · February 8, 2012

It seems to take the young seedlings about 10 days to two weeks to recover if they are going to recover from the mild bleach treatment for damping off. I have had to do this many times over the last few years and the one thing you can't do is wait to treat once damping off shows up. Some years I hardly see it at all and other times it seems to attack every seedbed no matter the precautions taken. The last treatment worked and I saved about half my seedlings and will be potting some up this week. My latest plantings are starting to pop up so I need to keep a close eye on them just in case.

February 2, 2012	#1
snappybob SETTFest™ Coordinator Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 214	Using fungicide on young seedlings I have young seedlings (2 weeks old) in my greenhouse and the weather has been very moist, soupy and rainy for a lot of that time. We've had a few days of sunshine and sometimes the sun breaks out late in the afternoon but I worry about a fungus infection in these conditions. I am very hesitant to spray such young seedlings with anything but I would hate to lose them as well. What, if anything, should I be using under these conditions. The seedlings look healthy. So far. Thanks

February 2, 2012	#3
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	Actinovate shouldn't bother them as it is an organic fungicide. Or if you know anybody that makes colloidal silver that can help as well. I've used both on young seedlings with no adverse effects. Ami __________________ 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!'

February 2, 2012	#2
GaryStPaul Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: St Paul, MN Posts: 158	I haven't had a case of damping off in years. I do two things that seem to prevent it, not sure which of the two is more effective: (1) gentle breeze wafting over seedlings from a small (computer) fan about 5" in diameter; (2) spray weekly with dilute chamomile tea (1 gal of boiling water on 4 or 5 tea bags; cool down and funnel into spray bottle). Gary

February 2, 2012	#4
rockhound Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Tennessee Posts: 285	Keep a little air moving, as was said and water from the bottom without the surface getting soaking wet, JMHO.

February 2, 2012	#5
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Damping off seems to be carried in the air down here; but then we have very high humidity nearly all the time. Using sterile non soil planting mediums, distilled or boiled water when bottom feeding, keeping the surface dry, with a fan blowing over the seedlings and yet still get hit by damping off. It happened last time during a rainy spell with the humidity near 100%. The third day after the rains started I went out to inspect my plants I was shocked to see the change from the day before with nearly half of them showing some signs of damping off. I sprayed them with a dilute bleach spray making sure to wet the planting medium well and the ones that looked really sick died within hours but the rest seem to have recovered and are now just starting to put on true leaves. I only resorted to the bleach because the first planting I tried the hydrogen peroxide and still lost all of my tomatoes and most of my peppers. I used a bleach solution half the strength I would use on a grown plant. I had to do this last year a couple of times and it seems to really stop damping off in its tracks but that doesn't mean it can't come back so I turn the fans on high after the spraying to quickly dry the surface in hopes of stopping a repeat. I used one ounce of bleach added to a quart of water. I don't know if a weaker solution would work or not. I have even thought of trying adding a very small amount to the distilled water when I water them from the bottom but I will have to test that out and see if it is detrimental to the seedlings health.

February 2, 2012	#6
roamwhereiwant2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Lawrenceville, GA, 7b Posts: 130	I found that Actinovate stops damping off disease in its tracks. I lost my 1st set of starts last year. I started a 2nd set and ordered Actinovate (and Biotamax and Mycogrow as well) The 2nd group of seedling trays started strong but growth stopped and then seedlings starting dying. Hydrogen peroxide didn't help. It was a race to see whether the Actinovate would arrive in time to do anything. It finally came and I made up a solution and sprayed the nearly dead seedlings that evening. By the next day I could see a difference. It took 2 full weeks before they started to grow again. I've already started crucifers, chard, kale, beets, leeks, early tomatoes, and lettuce and I drenched the soil in a solution of Actinovate. It's too early to tell if this will prevent damping off but it sure hasn't hurt any seedlings.

February 8, 2012	#7
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	It seems to take the young seedlings about 10 days to two weeks to recover if they are going to recover from the mild bleach treatment for damping off. I have had to do this many times over the last few years and the one thing you can't do is wait to treat once damping off shows up. Some years I hardly see it at all and other times it seems to attack every seedbed no matter the precautions taken. The last treatment worked and I saved about half my seedlings and will be potting some up this week. My latest plantings are starting to pop up so I need to keep a close eye on them just in case.