Seedling Help

[NeedleCast]

Hey all,

This year has been cooler and very wet here in Maryland. I started my tomato, pepper and other seeds about a month ago in pretty standard Jiffy pots (small seed starting containers). I was hoping to have the seedlings in my planter by last weekend at the latest but its been unseasonably cold here and I haven't even really been able to take them out for hardening yet.

I don't know if this is normal or not, but many of the seedlings, especially tomatoes, have developed on long, thin stalks that eventually start to wilt at the base and then the seedling just topples over and dies in a day or two. I thought I had been keeping them pretty well watered but they just aren't getting much sun. Any idea what could be causing the seedlings to wilt at the base and die like that?

I've started a new batch and moved these to larger (4" diameter) pots as soon as they've produced their first two leaves. I also set up a table in my basement with grow lights hoping that would help.

[Arkansas Granny]

1. It sounds like "damping off" disease which is a fungus caused by poor air circulation.

Here's a link to an article that explains it and gives some solutions. You can probably find more info with a search of damping off.

http://www.ehow.com/how_9361_prevent-damping-seedlings.html

[Curmudgeoness]

2. I agree it sounds like damping off. I had this happen to me

the first year I tried seeds. You say that you kept them well watered, and that is one of the problems. It will not hurt to let them dry out a bit, and that is what I do now to avoid this problem. And they really do need sun (or your grown lights should be ok).

When you say that you moved them to larger pots as soon as they produced their first two leaves---are you talking about the first two true leaves, or the first two cotyledons (the oval leaves that first appear)? I would not move them until the true leaves appear. But usually that will not happen with damping off.

Hope this helps, and hope your plants do well.

[NRaleighLiberal]

3. Yep - dreaded damping off - combo of too much water and not enough sun

It is really easy to over care for tomatoes. I start thousands of tomato seedlings each season and find that the quicker you get them hardened off and into some sun - even for brief periods - the happier they are. I even try to minimize time under grow lights....I've found using sterile soil less mix (I like to use MetroMix 360) also really helps minimize damping off....

[kurtzapril4]

4. Damping off.

Damping off is a fungal infection. Like the others have mentioned, it is caused by too much water, not enough light, and a third thing: not enough air circulation.

Put your grow lights no more than 3" above the tallest plant. Put a fan near them to move air. Sprinkle some cinnamon on the top of the soil, or water with a weak chamomile tea solution.

[trud]

6. cinnamon? n/t

[kurtzapril4]

8. Cinnamon has anti-fungal properties. n/t

[NeedleCast]

5. Thanks Everyone!

So it sounds like Damping Off is pretty much the problem. It looks like after tomorrow we'll be getting more spring and less late winter here in Maryland so hopefully I can just restart what dies off and get things outside in the near future.

I've moved a small fan down to my basement to help move air around and the plants that have spent time under the grow lights seem to be doing much better than the earliest batch that didn't get grow light time.

[Kolesar]

7. I use a heating pad to keep the tomato seedlings' soil warm

They sell waterproof heating pads at the garden center. I suppose you could get by with a drug-store heating mat. Set it on low. Maybe put a plastic sheet over it so you don't splash it when watering it. Put the heating pad on a folded up towel or a piece of foam to keep the heat from being lost out the bottom to the table.