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seeds Problems with seedlings

I hate to bring up the term "Damping Off" but it may be what is wrong...

All...please correct me if I am way off base here...

Damping off is caused by fungi...I would use some peroxide in a weak solution....2-3 Tbsp per gallon of water...

The peroxide will kill the fungi and it may not be too late to revive your seedlings if it in fact it is Damping Off...
 
AlabamaJack said:
I hate to bring up the term "Damping Off" but it may be what is wrong...

All...please correct me if I am way off base here...

Damping off is caused by fungi...I would use some peroxide in a weak solution....2-3 Tbsp per gallon of water...

The peroxide will kill the fungi and it may not be too late to revive your seedlings if it in fact it is Damping Off...
Click to expand...

After reading about damping off, I think it's certainly a possibility. If they're not, will the peroxide hurt them if I do it anyway?

And how should I treat them? Bottom water with the solution? Or water regularly?
 
In the first picture you posted, the seedling on the row to the right that has a brown patch? That's a burn. I think it was from the heat lamps. I know you're getting advice thrown at you from every which way, and that is confusing.

****It has nothing to do with them being in peat pots****

I have grown peppers in peat pots in the past, and I have a few growing in them right now, Bent's Siams, for one. Those strips you bought have a pre-punched hole in the bottom, so any excess water will run off.

You can bottom water in peat pots,too, the peat will wick it up. Trying the peroxide that AJ suggested won't hurt, and it may help. I would water with the peroxide very gently from the top the first time. After that you can water from the bottom.

Seedlings are delicate things, and you may find you just have to put this down as a lesson learned and start over. We've all been there at one time or another.
 
Pam said:
In the first picture you posted, the seedling on the row to the right that has a brown patch? That's a burn. I think it was from the heat lamps. I know you're getting advice thrown at you from every which way, and that is confusing.

****It has nothing to do with them being in peat pots****

I have grown peppers in peat pots in the past, and I have a few growing in them right now, Bent's Siams, for one. Those strips you bought have a pre-punched hole in the bottom, so any excess water will run off.

You can bottom water in peat pots,too, the peat will wick it up. Trying the peroxide that AJ suggested won't hurt, and it may help. I would water with the peroxide very gently from the top the first time. After that you can water from the bottom.

Seedlings are delicate things, and you may find you just have to put this down as a lesson learned and start over. We've all been there at one time or another.
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Understood, but I haven't learned anything yet. I'm not sure whats wrong!

As it stands, they're dying, so I have to jump to conclusions and try things. I'll mix up the peroxide solution right now... Too bad I just watered them! Next time they need feeding I'll use the peroxide solution.

I'm going to keep the heating lights AND the prop mat off. The ambient temp in my basement is in the low 60's... I'll get a soil thermometer soon.
 
klyth said:
Understood, but I haven't learned anything yet. I'm not sure whats wrong!
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You've learned not to put a heat lamp that close to delicate seedlings.

As it stands, they're dying, so I have to jump to conclusions and try things. I'll mix up the peroxide solution right now... Too bad I just watered them!
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Ok, if it were me, I would leave the seed starting mats and fluorescent lights turned on, and the heat lamps off. I would water with the peroxide solution that AJ suggested and drain off any excess water. Then I would leave them alone for a couple of days and see if it was too late to save them, or if a few were going to make a come back.
 
Pam said:
You've learned not to put a heat lamp that close to delicate seedlings.



Ok, if it were me, I would leave the seed starting mats and fluorescent lights turned on, and the heat lamps off. I would water with the peroxide solution that AJ suggested and drain off any excess water. Then I would leave them alone for a couple of days and see if it was too late to save them, or if a few were going to make a come back.
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I'm just not 100% convinced its the heat lights. That said, I'm more convinced its the heat lights than anything else, but I'm not totally sold. Here's a picture!

72688190rm1.jpg


The lights are mounted on the inside of the box, UNDER the shelf where the plants sit. I did this simply to keep the ambient temp of the box up. Clearly, that could still be causing the problem, but I don't want you to think I had the lights very close to the plants.

ABM & AJ - I was looking at pics of damping-off, and it looks like the stem right at the level of the soil should be pretty damaged. In my case, the entire stem is thin. I uncovered a tiny bit of the stem (upper root) from the soil, and it doesn't look like the damping off pictures (its not discolored or any worse off than the rest of the stem).

Found this somewhere "Usually, the plants will germinate and come up fine, but within a few days they become water-soaked and mushy, fall over at the base, and die." ... My seedlings aren't mushy at all. If anything, they look really dry. And this "Damping off typically occurs when old seed is planted in cold, wet soil and is further increased by poor soil drainage. High humidity levels, rich potting soils, and planting too deeply will also encourage its growth." Considering the peat pots I have have been drying out so fast, I don't think this is the case. Still, I'll use that peroxide solution the next time they need to be watered, just to be safe.
 
i'd interpret 'mushy' as limp in that statement, peroxide at that dilution won't hurt regardless.

i feel the only actual problem with peat is that it's not renewable, but at the same time it's not like we're near 'peak peat' so i'm not ready to pull it off the shelves yet. peat's not bad, but i think better does exist.
 
I started using peroxide in all water/fertilizer that touches my plants about a month ago...and I will continue to do this until plant out...

From what I have read, the only draw back is the peroxide kills beneficial fungi too so that is the reason I won't use it any more after plant out...
 
AlabamaJack said:
I started using peroxide in all water/fertilizer that touches my plants about a month ago...and I will continue to do this until plant out...

From what I have read, the only draw back is the peroxide kills beneficial fungi too so that is the reason I won't use it any more after plant out...
Click to expand...

*nod*

Ok. Hopefully I'll have at least 1 or 2 plants survive this. I planted 18 and only 9 sprouted at all :(

*edit*

It's been almost 24 hours since I turned all the heat sources off on the little guys, and they look worse. The stems are withering like crazy. I'm starting to think fungus for sure...
 
GrumpyBear said:
i'd interpret 'mushy' as limp in that statement, peroxide at that dilution won't hurt regardless.

i feel the only actual problem with peat is that it's not renewable, but at the same time it's not like we're near 'peak peat' so i'm not ready to pull it off the shelves yet. peat's not bad, but i think better does exist.
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Grumpy - what do you use? I didn't realize peat wasn't renewable (should have looked into it more - my fault).
 
Pam said:
I looked at coir pots and cow pots, but they're still too expensive, especially when you add in shipping. I do use some coir to mix in with my potting mixes, but with the much lamented closure of my favorite organic garden center, it's been harder to track down, too.

Cow pots are at the top of this page. Scroll down to find the coir pots.
Click to expand...

Very neat Pam! Thanks! I'll look into those!
 
GrumpyBear said:
i'd interpret 'mushy' as limp in that statement, peroxide at that dilution won't hurt regardless.

i feel the only actual problem with peat is that it's not renewable, but at the same time it's not like we're near 'peak peat' so i'm not ready to pull it off the shelves yet. peat's not bad, but i think better does exist.
Click to expand...

Peat on its own is terrible, its either too wet or its crusty hard, but as a base with the proper ammendements it works great.;) I plan on trying coir in the future but I'm stuck on my ways right now.
 
i agree the coir pots are too expensive, but compressed coir blocks are dirt cheap. coir also works better mixed, as is evidenced by the cr hab in compost and coir that is twice the size of the others and now trying to flower. *pinch* *pinch*
 
GrumpyBear said:
i agree the coir pots are too expensive, but compressed coir blocks are dirt cheap. coir also works better mixed, as is evidenced by the cr hab in compost and coir that is twice the size of the others and now trying to flower. *pinch* *pinch*
Click to expand...

Where do you purchase coir? Online?

I'm trying to save my peppers with the peroxide solution. As it stands, its been 24 hours since I turned off the pad and the lights, and they're looking worse. After looking at the stems, I'm sure it's damping off :( Instead of having the heat lights and pad on 24/7 I now have them on the same cycle as the flourescent lights (just because I'm now not so worried about them getting so cold at night). If all of them die I'm going to try again. Granted, I've lost about a month, so I'll probably have to finish them indoors, which might be a problem, but we'll cross that bridge when we come do it.

I'd like to try again with the coir/soil and start by bottom feeding. I've learned so much from you guys. I think I'd do better the second time around - I just dont want to lose that month. We have a short growing season as it is!!
 
you can get it online, i get mine at the coop but i've seen the bricks at canadian tire which is like the crappiest hardware store there is (but we canadians just love that funny money...) so i'm sure there's a hardware store somewhere close to you that carries it. i'm also pretty sure 'PeatEliminator' is just coir, but i've never been given a straight answer on that from the oh-so-knowledgeable home depot staff...
 
Just a thought for the fall Klyth...if you know your season is not going to be long enough for mature plants...plan ahead and over the next 6 months design and build you something that can hold...say... 8 plants and keep them warm......my 4X4 grow box has 4 shop fixtures in it and it is 6 feet tall inside...I got into it for about $350...and I am getting ready to put 4 more shop light fixtures in it...so that will give me a total of 48K lumens for a 4X4 grow area...that will be 640 watts and will cost me about $35 a month but I will only use it for 4 months a year...

Just thinking ahead my friend...
 
GrumpyBear said:
you can get it online, i get mine at the coop but i've seen the bricks at canadian tire which is like the crappiest hardware store there is (but we canadians just love that funny money...) so i'm sure there's a hardware store somewhere close to you that carries it. i'm also pretty sure 'PeatEliminator' is just coir, but i've never been given a straight answer on that from the oh-so-knowledgeable home depot staff...
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Hahahah :) Ok. I'll check Home Depot and Lowes. If they dont have anything I'll get it online.

AlabamaJack said:
Just a thought for the fall Klyth...if you know your season is not going to be long enough for mature plants...plan ahead and over the next 6 months design and build you something that can hold...say... 8 plants and keep them warm......my 4X4 grow box has 4 shop fixtures in it and it is 6 feet tall inside...I got into it for about $350...and I am getting ready to put 4 more shop light fixtures in it...so that will give me a total of 48K lumens for a 4X4 grow area...that will be 640 watts and will cost me about $35 a month but I will only use it for 4 months a year...

Just thinking ahead my friend...
Click to expand...

I don't KNOW my season isn't going to be long enough - I've never done this before :)

Can you provide a link to your grow box? If it comes down to it, I'd love to have that for September if I need it. I can build something, but I'm not sure if Ott-lites will be good enough for fruiting...
 
GrumpyBear said:
you can get it online, i get mine at the coop but i've seen the bricks at canadian tire which is like the crappiest hardware store there is (but we canadians just love that funny money...) so i'm sure there's a hardware store somewhere close to you that carries it. i'm also pretty sure 'PeatEliminator' is just coir, but i've never been given a straight answer on that from the oh-so-knowledgeable home depot staff...
Click to expand...

Well, I got my last seeds today from Burpee (Biker Billy's, False Alarms and Orange Habs). I went to Home Depot to find some coir or Peat Eliminator - the 3 guys in the garden center had no idea what I was talking about. I got stuck with more organic potting soil.

Instead of using the peat pots (I was all out anyway), I just got some plastic cups a la AJ. I'll be bottom watering with that Peroxide solution from the get-go.

Bottom watering with plastic cups is a pain! The peat pots would wick up the water. The plastic cups only draw water up to the level of the water, so I have to fill REALLY deep containers with water... Any suggestions on that? Are my holes too small (they're 1/4")? I only have holes in the bottom of the cups, should I have holes on the side as well?
 
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