strong sprouts suddenly weakening, what am I doing wrong?

[Wishin']

My broccoli, romaine, and iceberg lettuce seeds were doing very well, strong and green they were a little over an inch tall one day, then the next they were bent over about half way and week at that point, they looked almost like they were pinched at that point. I stood them up and left and the next morning they were yellow and dead. What did I do wrong

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sounds like damping off. A fungus basically rots the stems about the soil line. Cool and damp conditions are often factors. I’ve had trouble with that in the past. I try real hard to not get the soil wet at the soil line. I haven’t used it but I got a fan to dry the soil if I saw any symptoms.

 

[NwMtGardener]

I think we've all had that happen to us...its tricky to get the watering and temps and airflow right to help prevent damping off. And you want to start with sterilized soil, of course.

So...water small amounts from the bottom (if you can, i can't on some of my starts), let the soil dry in between. I check my starts at least twice a day, and try and "restrain myself" sometimes from watering. I think "ok, they're kinda drying out, but the seed starter soil i used doesnt look REAL dry yet so i'll check it tonight..." a fan like ridgerunner mentioned can help.

Some members have mentioned things like cinnamon or sand sprinkled on the top of their pots seems to help. And i think somebody recently mentioned a spray or additive targeted to prevent damping off funguses?

 

[journey11]

I've not tried it yet, but chamomile tea is supposed to prevent dampening off. Spray on with a fine mist.

Best to water from the bottom otherwise. I lift out one cell pack and pour about a half inch of water into the bottom of my trays. If they never get dried out completely and hard, they will wick it up from the bottom.

Sorry for your set back. Like Heather said, it has happened to everyone at one point or another. Very disappointing. Still plenty of time to plant again!

 

[Greenthumb18]

I would recommend you use a fungicide that's used to discourage the damping off fungus, it can't hurt.

 

[thistlebloom]

What kind of soil are you using Wishin'?

 

[catjac1975]

Vermiculite on top of the soil will prevent damping off. You need to start with a sterilized seed starting formula also.

 

[Wishin']

@thistlebloom I am using a 72 slot seed starter kit, http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ferry-Morse-Jiffy-36-Cell-Greenhouse/20934704

 

[897tgigvib]

Yea, sounds like damping off.

And yep, happens to everyone sometimes. With experience it happens less.

Has to be prevented because there really is no cure.

Use starting mix or potting soil that says it is sterile.

When you do the prewetting of it, you might want to consider using boiling water. That wuld be one of the things to do if it even happens with sterilized soil mix.

As Ridge said, cool and damp conditions is usually what allows it to happen most often. Cool and damp air that does not move much are conditions the damping off fungus thrives in.

Also, once you have had it, the spores are around.

Do a serious cleanup of the area, and use 9 to 1 bleach. 1 part bleach to 9 parts water, nothing else mixed in. Dry everything off real good. Clean the area, and all your equipment, and any cells or pots you'll be reusing.

Have a small fan and get the air moving. Get some fresh air in there.

Raise the temperatures in there some.

Some folks are into fungicides. I say be careful with those, but after it happened, even after the thorough cleaning, you may wish to use a very small amount.

Most rooting hormones come with fungicide. After I had a damping off, almost disaster in the greenhouse I worked at in Montana, I began using Rootone rooting hormone mixed into the starting mix. I was doing large quantities of soil mixes, 4 cubic feet at a time.

Most bags are 2 cubic feet, and I was adding about half a teaspoon per bag into my mixing box.

Yes, SPLASH is one of the main ways for fungus and mildew spores to be spread.

Many come up with ways to water from below, and that is good. But if you can't devise that, yes, use something such as vermiculite or very fine perlite on the surface.

Seedlings are very tender. Stopping damping off gets an entirely different mindset going, especially for an ole neanderthal like me. There is no big overall spraying water on them. It's all small very low pressure tinkling the water.
No mudbath dirt playing. It's all super clean.

Your mindset is more that of a nurse. A pediatrics nurse. See my avatar? That's in the greenhouse I worked at in Montana. It got an all out hospital cleaning at least once a year.

 

[Wishin']

Thank you all you have been very helpful.
I have one more question, I'm going to do as marshall says and clean and bleach everything, my lettuce,and broccoli are dead, but my peas who were on the other side of the container are doing fine and still thriving, if I return them to the cleaned/bleached tray afterwards will they still possibly infect any new sprouts or are the peas just not carrying the fungus?