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seeds damping-off in seedlings

Poisonette

Poisonette

From what I've read online, it seems I have this problem with my seedlings I've started inside.
My numbers are dwindling off fast.

What I've got alive still from the # transplanted from their flats since 6-14 (started on 5-30):
8/12 Orange Habanero
6/10 Gold Bullet Habanero
10/14 Tepin
29/47 Hot Pepper Mix (Jalepeno, Serrano, Cayenne, Hungarian Wax, Anaheim)

Started on 6-8 - still in flat
14/14 Sweet Banana
10/14 Yellow Hungarian Wax (lost 1)
8/14 Tabasco (lost 1)
6/14 Peach Habanero

They've got 2 24" Grow Lights & 1 24" Warm White light bulb 8am-10pm. Planted in Miracle-Gro Cactus Formula. No added fertilizer yet.
I've heard Chamomile &/or Clove tea helps.
Any experience here on keeping these alive?
Thanks in advance.
 
Is it too warm? Could be a bad bunch of seeds?

The tea is to soften the seed coat for prepare for germination.
Make a cup of tea, anything that you have. Let it steep for 4 min, then dump it.

Make a second cup with the same bag. Let this steep for 4 min.

Add this to water to make 1 qt.

Place seeds between 2 layers of paper towel on a plate. Moisten towel with tea.

Place in fridge over night.

use tea bag is to get tannins from the tea. I think those are removed from instant. Some folks feel chamomile helps reduce damp-off (??) Objective of seeds in fridge overnight is to help break dormancy cycle. Just overnight 8 to 12 hours should be enough
 
Weak chamomile tea, cinnamon, a baking soda solution, and baby powder are all supposed to help. Or there are organic fungicides commercially available. If you've got damping off, though, you might want to back off on the watering, or put the seedlings in a warmer place.

I wouldn't recommend starting seeds in any soil that has fertilizer in it like the Miracle-Gro stuff does, either. Most store have soil-less mixes available in the spring that make seed starting less complicated.
 
A good humidity guage is always nice to have so you can see exactly what variables you are dealing with. I agree with Pam on the soil. What is in the "cactus mix?"
 
It's about 78-80 in here when the lights are on... a little too toasty for me. Relative humidity is 46%.

I usually let the top of the soil dry a little before I water.

The cactus mix has less peat in it. "Fast-Draining" according to the bag. It was recommended by the co. I got the Gold Bullets & Tepins from.


Here's a (bad) pic.
DSCF0010.JPG
 
Looks dry to me but hard to tell just by picture. Are there hole in the bottom of your cups for good drainage?
 
Poisonette said:
It's about 78-80 in here when the lights are on... a little too toasty for me. Relative humidity is 46%.
Click to expand...

What's the temperature when the lights aren't on? Nighttime lows are as important in growing peppers as daytime highs.

I usually let the top of the soil dry a little before I water.

The cactus mix has less peat in it. "Fast-Draining" according to the bag. It was recommended by the co. I got the Gold Bullets & Tepins from.
Click to expand...

I've never seen a Miracle Gro product that wasn't high nitrogen, and I just don't think that's healthy for a newly sprouted seedling. Dilute fertilizer after the first couple of weeks maybe, but not high nitrogen right off the bat like that. I think it stresses the seedling and makes them more susceptible to disease.


I can't really see what's going on from the picture, but you said you had already looked on line and are pretty sure it's damping off, correct? Are you seeing the pinching of the stem at the soil line?
 
On some of the bigger plants I see the pinching look right above the soil.

The night temp is 69-71. Being inside, I can't really get it lower than that if they need it. Not even with the AC.

They have holes in them for drainage.

I'm thinking I might need to start more seeds. Luckily we're going for fall-winter harvest. My H loves his peppers all-year-round & neither of us really like store-bought produce.

Is there a name for the soil-less stuff? Can I find it at Lowes or Wal-Mart?
 
Are you using an incandescent light bulb? This will kill the seedlings.
They recommend cactus Mix? Cactus mix is terrible for seedlings IMHO.
 
I'm confused on two parts
- why did you start the seeds so late ? since those dates I'm assuming you could of put plants outside for good w/o frost worries well before those dates.
- why dont you have the plants outside since its warm enough.
instead of paying for electric, free sunlight.

I started my plants months ago & they just stopped growing, they looked like yours & some had more leaves also. I threw away most of them or they died, I didnt want to waste more time on the pittyful plants because our season is short, so I only kept the bigger ones & went out & bought new plants - which were healthier & bigger.
but the ones I kept still looked like crap but I put them outside & now they look ALOT better.

whats "damping off" ? what does that mean ?
 
I started these so late cause that's when I thought about it. My outside garden was started early May with "Bonnie Plants" & is doing pretty good but H thought it would be good to have year-round peppers.

"Damping-Off" is a generic term for types of fungus that kill seedlings. Link on info here Alot of info but I ALWAYS love personal experience advice.

Thinking about it, it might be easier to let Mother Nature take care of them now & then bring them in for the winter. Problem with that is my Dad likes to "help" by watering them or moving them in or out of the sun as he sees fit. He almost killed my Tomatoes that way. Telling him otherwise doesn't work, he prefers to think he knows more than me on all subjects.
 
Poisonette said:
Thinking about it, it might be easier to let Mother Nature take care of them now & then bring them in for the winter. Problem with that is my Dad likes to "help" by watering them or moving them in or out of the sun as he sees fit. He almost killed my Tomatoes that way. Telling him otherwise doesn't work, he prefers to think he knows more than me on all subjects.
Click to expand...

Heh, I had one of those. He wanted to help, but sometimes his help drove me crazy. Once I was rescuing a garden pretty out of the trash where he'd put it while he protested that it was rusted and looked awful. I explained that it wasn't rusted, it was "distressed", and it was supposed to look that way. He walked off shaking his head and muttering "mercy" under his breath. Once he cleaned all my flower beds for me by raking up all the leaf mulch I'd spread.

Enjoy the attention, they're not with us nearly long enough.
 
Poisonette said:
On some of the bigger plants I see the pinching look right above the soil.

The night temp is 69-71. Being inside, I can't really get it lower than that if they need it. Not even with the AC.

They have holes in them for drainage.

I'm thinking I might need to start more seeds. Luckily we're going for fall-winter harvest. My H loves his peppers all-year-round & neither of us really like store-bought produce.
Click to expand...

It sounds like you're doing all that correctly. You know, sometimes, despite of our best efforts, shit happens.


Is there a name for the soil-less stuff? Can I find it at Lowes or Wal-Mart?
Click to expand...

Jiffy makes one that you can get at Lowe's or Walmart in the spring. I don't know how long they keep them on the shelves, though.
 
UPDATE

UPDATE Since my original post, I lost one of each of the transplanted peppers. And it looks like I might lose a few more. :(
I took the little boogers outside onto a nice warm shady picnic table. I'm gonna see what Mother Nature wants to do with them.

The little seedlings are doing fine inside... growing like weeds. I'm almost afraid to transplant them into individual containers considering what's happening to the others. But I know they can't stay in the tiny flat forever. Funny thing though, they're ALL in the same soil, same light, same heat, etc.

Great news is, the Sweet Banana, Cayenne, & Hot Banana in my garden are producing some nice looking pods.

Thanks for all the advice, questions, & suggestions. Maybe I'm like my Mom, not cut out for indoor gardening. lol
 
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