How to Prevent Damping Off in Seedlings

Starting plants from seed is a very economical way to plant a garden. However, you can lose young plants to fungus disease before they even come up. Damping-off is a fungal disease that can kill seedlings overnight. The fungus rots the stems at the soil surface, causing the seedlings to fall over and die. A way to control this problem is with improved circulation.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fans
• Perlite
• Potting Soil
• Sand

1. Use quality, sterile potting soil to start your seedlings. Select a neutral pH potting soil, since acid soils are ideal for fungus growth.

2. Before planting, make sure the seed-starting flat has been well watered.

3. Sow seeds thinly. Crowded seedlings do not dry quickly after watering, resulting in humid, moist conditions - the perfect environment for fungus spores to germinate.

4. Sprinkle a thin layer of sand or perlite on the surface of the soil. This step will keep the stems dry at the soil surface where damping-off occurs.

5. Prop the top of the seed-starting tray up a few inches to allow for air circulation.

6. Avoid overwatering seedlings. A light misting may be enough if the soil was saturated thoroughly prior to planting.

7. Place an electric fan near the seed-starting tray. The added air circulation will prevent fungus from developing.

8. Water around the base of the plants once they emerge from the soil to avoid wetting the foliage.

Tips & Warnings

• Symptoms include fungus spores on the surface of the soil that sometimes resemble tiny hairs. Another symptom of damping-off is when the stems of newly emerged seedlings appear bent or discolored at the soil line.
• Seeds started outdoors are less likely to succumb to damping-off disease.
• After a few weeks, stems toughen and are no longer susceptible to damping-off.
• If at first you don't succeed, don't be afraid to try again.

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on 7/12/2007 2) Add water to the soil enough to moisten it.
3) Pop it into the microwave on high for, say 5 or 6 minutes (Or until it steams when you take it out of the microwave).
4) Take it out (careful there it will be steaming hot when completely done!) of the microwave and let it cool to room temp!

NOTE: You can do the same thing in your regular oven too! Just set the oven at 450 for 20 minutes (remember to moisten the soil before putting it into the oven too). Then take it out and allow it to cool again to room temperature.

I used to have a huge problem with damping off due to reusing potting soil until I found out how to sterilize the soil or potting mixes. I have not had one single incidence of Damping Off since!

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on 10/1/2007 For those of us who have to watch the costs closely I have found a great way to guaruntee that any soil that you use will not carry Damping Off to the seedlings. Not even reused soil!
1) Just fill up a microwave safe container (as big as your microwave can take or that you may need)with the soil you want to grow your seedlings in

on 11/22/2005 Chamomile tea and a mild, garlic solution (2-3 cloves ground up in a spray bottle) can be misted onto flats prior to germination. Both have the tea and the garlic have antifungal compounds. I've used it for a couple of years and it seems to work.