This works because the damp off fungus can't live on the inert vermiculite.

Sadly, it's not true. The damping off fungi (there are a few of them) can live anywhere moist, but they need to get there. Generally the bag of vermiculite you buy is fungus-free. However, a couple of years ago I was working with Marge Daughtrey on the
ecology of damping-off fungi in greenhouses, and not only did we find it everywhere in the greenhouse, we also found it in bags of peat, prior to being potted up. So although I'd advise anyone to start with clean materials, getting clean materials may not
be so easy. I'd store my bags of potting components in a dry place. I'd control fungus gnats and shore flies, both of which are suspected of spreading fungi around in greenhouses. [hands down the worst part of this survey we did was plating out shore f
ly corpses to look for fungi. Ick].

-Nina

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Marc Zimmerman++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++