"higgledy" wrote in message
ups.com...
Doug: Everything I read stated to fertilize when the true leaves show.
What is the reason you are telling me not to fertilize? Just curious so
I learn many points of view.


I'm suggesting it mainly because you have to eliminate all possible causes,
and then add them back into the experiment again, one at a time. You may
have chlorine in your water, and/or you may have hard water. You may have
softened water (do you?) You can't isolate any of these problems if you add
confusion.

And, for almost 30 years, I've been growing seedlings based on the advice I
gave you. For things like lettuce & spinach, which go outdoors quickly, I
use no fertilizer. For warmth-loving plants like tomatoes, peppers, etc.,
which spend another month indoors, I'll use a liquid fertilizer at about
1/10th the recommended dose. Remember that seeds contain their own food
supply (the cotyledon), so unless they're growing way too long in their
little pots, they're unlikely to drop dead. They may suffer a little, but if
you're observant, you'll notice and do something about it.

Other thoughts:

For house plants, I don't spend extra money for potting soil which contains
fertilizer. But, for the past 2 years, I've been using Miracle Gro potting
soil just for starting seeds, and the results seem to be better than using
regular soil. You might consider this.

And, there's a thing called "damping off disease", a fungus which kills tiny
seedlings. Usually, it rots the stems - they look as if they'd been pinched,
and the next day, the tops of the plants are dead. I don't know if it can
also affect the leaves. It occurs most often when there's a combination of
low temperatures (like some basements), no air circulation, and too much
moisture. If you suspect this problem:

- Set up a fan with a timer, not so close that it blows the plants over, but
enough to move a little air for a few hours a day.
- Water minimally, and don't let the peat pots sit in water. Once they're
saturated, dump the water that's drained out into the tray.
- Raise the temperature if possible.

Finally, is there any source of natural gas near where you're sprouting
seeds? Furnace? Stove? Even at levels you can't smell, it can be enough to
kill small seedlings.