New to growing your own tomatoes? This is the forum to learn the successful techniques used by seasoned tomato growers. Questions are welcome, too.
|
![]() |
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
![]() |
#1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Posts: 2,593
|
![]()
Folks, In my 10th year of successful germination, my seedlings this year are destroyed by a mysterious death of the growing tip. The roots are fine - the stalks are straight, but the growing tips have died. See pic.
The only thing I did differently this year is wash the soil with hydrogen peroxide and mist the top with 50% HP solution to stop the dampening out problems I had last year. Could the hydrogen peroxide have done this? My first thought was heat from the lamps, but I use t12 flourescent bulbs and the heat was low, and the bulbs were not too close to the seedlings. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 5,931
|
![]()
Yes. Most definately.
KarenO |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hampton, Virginia
Posts: 1,433
|
![]()
Yes Yes, Amen!!
I would never use hydrogen peroxide!!!!!
__________________
May God Bless you and my Garden, Amen https://www.angelfieldfarms.com MrsJustice as Farmer Joyce Beggs ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Cheektowaga, NY
Posts: 2,466
|
![]()
Ya, misting the seedlings with H2O2 must have done it.
For the same reason you treated the soil with H2O2 to kill pathogens you feared might be in the soil, H2O2 causes plant cell death in the tender seedlings. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Ústí nad Labem in the north of the Czech Republic
Posts: 332
|
![]()
Maximum concentration of hydrogen peroxide that can be used in gardening is, as far as I know, 3%. To be safe I use concentrations up to 1%. I soaked my seeds in HP before they went into the mix for half an hour and they are shooting fine. The problem is concentration, not HP in itself.
Milan HP |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2021
Location: Coastal CT, zone 7a
Posts: 172
|
![]()
50% hydrogen peroxide is awfully strong!
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: virginia
Posts: 742
|
![]()
I think you may have been fine if you had just washed the soil like you did and did not spray. From what I read the main action and benefit of hydrogen peroxide is to the roots as it adds more oxygen. Spraying as Ray stated is usually used as a pesticide.
It is also possible as others said the mix was to strong. While I was reading I saw that tomato plants actually produce hydrogen peroxide as a defense mechanism. I had so many tabs open I lost that page Here is an experiment a high school student did https://csef.usc.edu/History/2013/Projects/J1717.pdf Last edited by seaeagle; March 15, 2022 at 03:11 PM. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Metro Denver
Posts: 766
|
![]()
Ugh Scott...so sorry for your loss. It's not too late to start again, is it?
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Posts: 2,593
|
![]()
No, I re sowed last night - luckily, I had enough seeds. NO HP this time!!
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Detroit
Posts: 688
|
![]()
Hopefully, round two will be round one's redemption!
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hampton, Virginia
Posts: 1,433
|
![]()
I am glad you had a backup. Do you have any Heirloom Buckwheat Seeds? I use it as a crop cover but had a customer who wanted seeds, and I did not save seeds they just come back each year. I found out today that it was also grown here in front of Fort Monroe in another location around 1964.
__________________
May God Bless you and my Garden, Amen https://www.angelfieldfarms.com MrsJustice as Farmer Joyce Beggs ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: NE Ohio
Posts: 992
|
![]()
I am also glad you had extra seeds. Those pictures were so sad.
__________________
There is freedom waiting for you, On the breezes of the sky, And you ask 'What if I fall?' Oh but my darling, What if you fly? |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SE PA
Posts: 971
|
![]()
Hey, look, it worked. No damping off...
You are like me, you experiment with the whole tray. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: MA
Posts: 4,968
|
![]()
Bummer, and I'm very sorry for your loss. It looks like it will only set you back about a week.
You called what you are starting seedlings in as "soil". My question is, are you starting seedlings in a so-called "soilless " mix (like a peat-based one) or something else? |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#15 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Erie, PA
Posts: 44
|
![]()
I use h2o2 for my seedlings always, to prevent damp off. A very weak solution. One and one half teaspoons of 3% h2o2 for one cup of water. 50% is way too much.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
|