"Neil Jones" wrote in message om...
Can anyone suggest a better medium to prevent damping off problems.
I have beein using coir fibre and I find that even with cheshunt
compound I am still getting problems with certain seeds going moldy.
This is particularly the case with my heated propagator.

Vermiculite or perlite are possiblities. Which is best? I am a
conservationist and I love wild plants and their habitats too so I do
not wish to use any products containing peat.

I actually use a peat based compost - all peat free compost I've tried show signs of needing more R & D before they will
compete with the best peat based ones. Having said that I see folks - some of them pros having damping off problems with
the materials and seeds I use. As many posters have already suggested this is down to other factors like managing
water/temp/ventilation. Another major factor is the time the seeds spend in the propagator getting too soft and the time
they they spend in the sowing trays too crowded. Wean out of the propagator asap and prick out as soon as they are
hardened off and big enough to handle (preferably before you see any true leaves on dicotyledons)
Do watch the temperatures, a propagator in the sun becomes an oven very quickly, and do remember the obvious - a
thermostat is no answer - all it can do is turn the power off it can't cool the propagator.

Rod