All seedlings died

[wildflower]

Hey all.

I had 4 cracked from seed, i checked on them today and all the stems where choking,i know from this point they die. The stem kinda shrivels up they choke then die..this is the 2nd time its happned to me. im not feeding them anything, they are in coco under fluros.

So if anyone knows why this is happening or heard of it happening please let me know.

thanks

.

[wildflower]

I'm thinking it could be this, and the heat wave in VIC today didnt help.

 

Damping off fungi kill seeds in soil or seedlings shortly after they emerge from the soil. Fungi invade stems of seedlings at the soil line, causing a brown watery soft rot, then the plants topple over. Most damping off is caused by two Protoctistan Pythium species (technically they are oömycetes, not fungi), P. aphanidermatum and P. ultimum. Several fungi also cause damping off—Rhizoctonia solani, Botrytis cinerea, Macrophomina phaseolina, and several Fusarium species, F. solani, F. oxysporum, F. sulphurem, F. avenaceum, F. graminearum. Together they make damping off a ubiquitous problem, attacking all cultivars of Cannabis (Bush Doctor 1985).

[wildflower]

--- I need to go back to school.

 

Seed Rot or 'Damping Off' by Beate Schwirtlich

 

What is damping off?

 

This gentle term describes the death of seedlings by fungal disease, either before or after they emerge from the pod. This sudden plant death can happen for up to four weeks after seeds are started. It actually describers a few different fungal diseases carried in soil or seed. These fungi can survive for years or forever in soil, and are found in all soil outdoors.

 

Causes:

 

* overwatering

* unsterile soil

* dirty growing containers

* overcrowding seedlings

* stress, such as low light, cool temperatures

 

Symptoms:

 

* Seeds don’t germinate: they may have rotted underground

* Sudden wilting or discolouration

* seedling falls over: stem bends at soil level

* roots of diseased plant are black or brown

 

Prevention:

 

* Clean growing conditions.

* Clean containers yearly

* use sterile soil mixes.

* Water seedlings from the bottom of their containers

* Avoid overwatering

* Don’t plant seeds too deep

* Soil with a low pH: commercial starter mixes average 5.5 pH

* Good ventilation: moving air

* Use a soil-less starting mix, such as a peat moss/vermiculite mix. (This is not an environmentally friendly option, however, as peat moss is comes from sensitive bogs.)

 

* Plant seeds on soil, but cover with sand instead of soil.

 

Protect seedlings organically:

 

* Mist plants with either chamomile clove, or stinging nettle tea as a preventative. These herbal brews have known anti-fungal properties.

* A one-time dusting of cinnamon powder or powdered charcoal on the soil surface will also help prevent damping-off.

* Disinfect containers and tools with very hot water and biodegradable soap: this is the most environmentally conscious method. If you think you have a real problem with damping off, use one part bleach to four parts water, or a 70% solution of rubbing alcohol.

 

Confession of a lazy grower

 

I do only two things to prevent damping off: I avoid overwatering, and I provide good air circulation. My seedlings are doing fine.

[Dr Rockster]

In the early seedling stage I water with a tiny amount of H2O2 added.This keeps fungi and bacteria down when the seedlings are young and vulnerable.

[pipeman]

yeah try raising them in a sterile media - rockwool cubes with a drop or two of h202 in the water as the good doctor pescribed. if you want to grow in coco you can transplant them after they've established.

[wildflower]

i think i did it with stress temps and me overwatering, weather was crazy last week. there was a real wintering cold snap..then today..fukn heatwave and high humidity pushed em over the edge. ill be more careful with the next batch

 

 

Thanks for the tips pipeman and Dr Rockster. I havent grown for years and longer from seed, looking back i think i might have had them in vermiculite too.

..back on the bike.

Edited November 19, 2006 by wildflower

[Lollygag]

I've read a lot of disaster stories about seedlings in coco - even expert growers often seem to lose a few seedlings as they adjust to it.

 

Another possible reason: (I've never grown in coco, but I've read a lot about it, the following is pure hearsay). Apparently it's important to rinse the coco thoroughly before use, coconut trees usually grow right next to the ocean, so the media can be a bit too salty for seedlings unless rinsed well.

Edited November 20, 2006 by Lollygag

[wildflower]

its weird because coco is starting to make me look and feel like an utter noob.

I do remember though now starting in soil and vermiculite, then when i started taking clones and getting into hydro and coco after the hype a few years back. I did a vermacilite, perlite and coco trial for cuttings, and coco did very well. But i never started seedlings in coco now that i remember ...and yeh ive had nothing but disaster since trying it.

[Stoney]

hey there wild it could also be a ph issue do you know what ph ya coco was and what ph the water was that you were feeding them and also do you know what ph the run off was

 

i have lost a few to ph issues in my time

 

cheerz :Dj:

[Luke Skywalker]

Nah, it's definitely overwatering or excessive humidity which has led to stem wilt/rot.

 

Make sure the growing pots and space are well sanitized with bleach or something like microbial. Using something like citrofresh or microkill could help too, very safe.