In article
,
beecrofter wrote:

Absolutely not!

When you handle seedlings do it by the leaf not the stem.

As for your disease problem more likely damping off organisms.








Let me try that again. Gently hold the stems of the basil between
your
thumb and index finger with the roots draped across your palm, and hose
the potting soil off of them, then re-pot the basil.
--

Been doing this for a long time, to no ill effect. Particularly helpful
when I buy starts at a nursery, that have more than one plant per cell.
It might be more accurate to say that the thumb holds the stem of the
plant (just above the roots), and presses against the side of the hand
and the index finger, (Which is to say that the thumb and index finger
are more or less parallel.) and the roots are draped across and
supported by the palm of the hand. I use a pistol grip nozzle which I
adjust to a wide spray, and using only a bit of the circumference of the
spray to wash the dirt from the roots.

Untangling the roots is a bit of a hassle, which is why I was so
interested by "Creative Propagation" [Illustrated] (Paperback)
by Peter Thompson (Author), Owen Josie (Illustrator)
http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Propa...dp/0881926817/
ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273249143&sr=1-1 and his procedure for
"pricking out" seedlings (p.57), which does handle seedling by their
leaves (this is when the plants still have their dicotyledons), but with
older plants that have more fibrous stems, I feel more comfortable
holding them by the stems than by their leaves.

If Paul's basil was less than 3 - 4" (not counting the roots), I may
agree with you, but if they are taller than 6", I'd hold them (not
dangle) by their stems.

In Paul's case, I'd re-pot into potting soil that doesn't have any
chemferts in it, or any fertilizer at all for that matter. If they are
doing OK in a couple of weeks, I'd give them a half ration of fish
emusion.

Can you describe a similar procedure that you do?

Good Gardening.
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn3lF5XSUg
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/HZinn_page.html