Monday, April 2, 2012

Damping-Off 101

Complements of the NJHA
  Most of us by now have either started our seeds or are planning to within the next week or so! One of the main things you need to try to prevent is called "Damping-Off". According to the University of Connecticut, "Damping-off is a common disease that kills seedlings in the greenhouse. Damping-off can kill both germinating seeds and young seedlings. Several fungi can cause this disease, including Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium spp., Phytophthora spp., Sclerotinia spp., and Botrytis spp. Most of these fungi can also cause cuttings to rot. These fungi are found in practically all soils and pose a large threat to plant propagation. Practically all species of plants can be affected." Read More fro them Here!
  It is simply caused a few things: 1) Dirty Container:, so soak and clean with a mixture of 1 part bleach and 8 parts water. 2) Non-sterilized Soil: buy sterilized, seed starting mix. 3)Stagnant air in the area staring your seeds: make sure you have good venting. 4)Dirty Tools and Hands: keep your tools and hands cleaned while plating! A couple other hints are: Water early in the day, when you go to transplant seedlings into larger containers make sure to keep hands off stems, use a spoon to move them and take as much of the staring soil as you can with it!
  I have read where you can mix 4 tsp. of chamomile tea, 1 tsp. of dish liquid mix in a quart spray bottle with water and spray on the seedlings and it will help as well. I personally have never used it and feel if you use the four steps above, you probably won't need to! Just remember this can happen to anyone, try not to get discouraged and start over as quick as you can.
  It happens to the best of us for what ever reason. I have lost a couple of tomato seedlings this year, hopefully that's it! Lets us know if you have any other tips!

  Look at each of these like this: 1)Dirty Container=Uncleaned Vessel 2)Nonsterile soil=Unpurified Soul 3)Stagnant air=Same unjustified life 4)Dirty Tools and Hands=Unforgiven Sate, all needing one thing, the saving Gospel of Jesus! "Can We Do Enough?"
  Whether it is a "Dirty Container or a Dirty Vessel", both led to the withering up and eventually death of the plant or person. To clean dirty containers for our seeds, we have to do all the work to make sure they don't die before the reach their full potential but to have the Dirty Vessel Cleaned, that work is already do for us and our own vessel! God Bless and Happy Gardening!

1 Timothy 2:5-6  “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.” 

This is linked to"
Homestead Revival: Barn Hop #56 
Fugal-days-sustainable-ways 
Tuesdays Garden Party 
Frugal Tuesday Tips 
Country Garden Showcase 
Your-cozy-home-party-13 
Tuesday Greens 4 
Teach Me Tuesday 

24 comments:

  1. Interesting. If my seeds start having issues I'll have to try it.

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  2. Great post Clint. I start seeds in a mix of about 25% sphagnum moss, 25% soilless seed starter, and 50% vermiculite with a few cups of perlite mixed in. If you're concerned about the sterility of your soil mix, coconut coir, sphagnum peat moss, and soil can all be heated on a low temperature in your home oven to be sure. Here's a good DIY link for soil steriization at home. http://goorganicgardening.com/soil/how-to-sterilize-soil

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  3. Hi Clint, I am visiting from Cozy Home Scenes. I am glad I found your blog because we have a large vegetable garden. This is good information about starting seeds.

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    1. Hello, thanks from stopping in, there are many great people who stop in to help out. I think of this blog as a community blog! If I can't answer it someone can!

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  4. I've never heard of this ...but have experienced it before FOR SURE! I just chalked it up to a black thumb-Ha!
    So glad to know it wasn't me-- well, maybe me in a round about way. I appreciate the spiritual application- let him who has ears; hear.

    Now I know-
    thanks for posting this. ~Pat

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    1. I dont think you had a black thumb, we all experience it. Right know, I have 7 different varieties of tomatoes. Only one variety is doing this, my "San Marzanos". So it happens!

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  5. Great info here, Clint! Thanks for sharing it with us :-)

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  6. Hi Clint, glad to have you at Your Cozy Home Party once again. Your blog is interesting to me because you give very informative information. We used to do many of the things you suggested when we had greenhouses. Cleanliness is very important when dealing with plants just as you said. I love the analogy of the clean vessel and clean life. We will be reminded this Sunday of how and why our cleansing was made possible. Join us at the party whenever you can.------------Shannon

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    1. Thank you for allowing me to join! Thank you for the kind complement just trying to share what little I have learned over the years!

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  7. Thanks for encouraging people to "stick with it!" :-)

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    1. I guess we could say finish the good race! ;-)

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  8. Hi, So I am just trying to get to know you a little better and by reading your profile I feel like we have a lot in common.

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    1. In that case please stop back often and post often. That way we can learn from each other!

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  9. Thanks for this good information as I had always wondered what caused damping off. I am visiting from Cozy Home Scenes.

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  10. Wonderful post! Thanks for teaching me something new every time I stop by.
    :)

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  11. It sure does happen to all of us...following the seed packet directions helps too especially if a seed doesn't like too much moisture..keeping it a bit drier will prevent damping off...I also sprinkle cinnamon on my seedlings and it helps as well.

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    1. Thats a good tip! I was talking to my Grammy about it on the phone and she said they used to use Jell-o. The guillotine helps retain moisture and the sugar feeds them!

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  12. Excellent post Clint! I didn't start any early seedlings this year due to our house project. Next year though.....

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  13. A good reminder that a few "clean habits" will help with healthy seedlings.

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  14. Great post. Cleaning your pots is something I rarely do, but clearly I should be paying more attention to the risks :)

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  15. Good post, Clint! I'm lucky to not have had much problem with this over the years - whew - but do make sure to clean my pots each year before using again. Thanks for sharing at the TGP. :-)

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    1. Thank you Jamie for hosting! And for stopping in!

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