Damping off with seedlings

Community Community General Gardening Sowing and Growing Damping off with seedlings

This topic contains 2 replies, has 2 voices, and was last updated by  Pavol 5 years, 1 month ago.

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  • #51767

    Pavol
    Participant

    Hello Charles,

    I tried to start my first seedlings this year partly in seeding trays, partly in soil blocks and in cells as well. Everywhere I seem to get the fungus (see photo attached) which, I suppose, hinders the germination and ultimately kills the seedlings off.
    I used coconut fibre with my sieved compost and perlite. I could use only the coconut plus perlite for seedlings that will be pricked up later but what about onions e.g.? According to your multiseed method, these are not supposed to be pricked up and should go right into the ground in a coupe of weeks. But without compost the will run off nutrients in the compost-free medium.
    Eliot Coleman also does use his own compost in the soil blocks and does not mention any problems with the fungus. Is there any trick to this?

    I would very much appreciate your advice..
    Thanks a lot!
    Pavol

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    #51777

    Mick104
    Participant

    Hi Pavol, first off the fungus growing on the surface is probably not causing the damping off , D/O is caused by pathogens in the soil. For the blocker mix, my compost is about a year old (hot composted) and the peat is new. I use plastic trays which are washed before use but not sterilized. I germinate my seeds in a cloche in a poly-tunnel so its a damp environment but I never have issues with damping off. All that is of no great help to you . I think your problem is with one of your ingredients or are you reusing wooden trays ?.

    #51779

    Pavol
    Participant

    Hi Mick,

    I’m not a scientist but E. Britannica gives this definition: “Damping-off is caused by a number of seed- and soil-borne fungi and funguslike oomycetes”. Anyway, I am not sure what exactly causes the low/no germination rate but the fungus is very visible. Therefore I was betting on it.
    I use my own hot compost from last year as well which seemed perfectly ripe to me. The coconut fibre was new, so was perlite. No, I did not use wooded trays, I got plastic ones.
    I started the seeds as usually indoors with floor heating on.
    But again, watching Charles in his videos paying little to none attention to the cleanliness of his trays and to the compost composition per se, and getting the perfect germination causes headaches to me. I never had such a miserable germination before. Could the coconut fibre be possibly infected?
    Pavol

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