http://www.gardenersnet.com/atoz/dampingoff.htm

Controlling the disease is a matter of removing the environment that
Damping Off disease thrives in. Here are the basic do's and dont's:

Do:

** Buy sterilized seed starting soil.

** Use clean, sterilized containers.

** Provide plenty of air circulation.

Tip: Use a small fan and direct a gentle breeze across the room. The
important word here is "gentle"

** Thin seedlings to increase air circulation.

** Provide as much sunlight as possible.

** Let the surface of the soil dry out between watering. Watering from
the bottom is preferred.

** Stir the top of the soil around the seedlings.

** Put plants in a sunny location.

Don't:

** Don't leave your seedling trays in the basement. Basements are
perfect breeding grounds.

** Don't overwater plants.

** Do not use fertilizer on your new seedlings.

** Don't use tray covers. While it is a popular practice to use them,
they increase the humidity level and encourage disease growth.

Did you know? Nitrogen in your fertilizer can promote rapid growth of
Damping Off Disease.
---------

Fish emulsioned seedlings two days ago, based on some knuckle-head's
advice. I now have mold everywhere.
--

Billy

Impeach Pelosi, Bush & Cheney to the Hague
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/
http://rachelcorriefoundation.org/
--

Billy

Impeach Pelosi, Bush & Cheney to the Hague
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/
http://rachelcorriefoundation.org/

In article , Charlie wrote:

On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:46:56 -0700, Billy wrote:


Fish emulsioned seedlings two days ago, based on some knuckle-head's
advice. I now have mold everywhere.


Ahem.....you need to be more specific....of which knuckle-head speak
ye? I recall two knuckle-heads stating they do this.

Are you positive it is the fish sauce causing this? I introduced some
really nasty mold one year by using perlite that had been stored in my
son's basement and I didn't sterilize it.

Charlie, Knuckle-Head #1 or #2?

What really surprises me is that no one caught this gaff.

http://www.gardenersnet.com/atoz/dampingoff.htm
Did you know? Nitrogen in your fertilizer can promote rapid growth of
Damping Off Disease.

I'm not saying it was the fertilizer. It could have been any number of
things. I'm just doin' same ol', same ol', like I always do, and then
the little fungoids decided to throw a block party in the middle of my
germination trays. Never had this problem before. Hope to never have it
again. If I had known that germinating was such a sterility hassle, I
would have bought the plants and spent my time makin' beer. At least
with beer I'd expect problems.

As far as the knuckle-heads, I ain't gonna make 'em famous by martyring
'em. 'Nuff said.

At least the plants were about ready for larger quarters. I gotta go
re-pot.
--

Billy

Impeach Pelosi, Bush & Cheney to the Hague
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/
http://rachelcorriefoundation.org/

On Mar 26, 11:50*am, Billy wrote:

What really surprises me is that no one caught this gaff.

http://www.gardenersnet.com/atoz/dampingoff.htm
Did you know? Nitrogen in your fertilizer can promote rapid growth of
Damping Off Disease.

(snip)
At least the plants were about ready for larger quarters. I gotta go
re-pot.

- Show quoted text -

From what I've read, it is excessive fertilizing at fault,
particularly but not only nitrogen. I find this interesting because
from what I recall of NPK, all excess nitrogen gets washed out of the
soil anyway. Does this perhaps mean that the nitrogen gets bound up
by microorganisms which use it for their own nefarious growth
agendas?

I use fish emulsion, but usually after the plants are well
established. I don't usually use it or any other fertilizers when
they're small, and I wish I could say it was because I knew what I was
doing, but it's actually because I don't like the house to smell of
fish. Usually by the time I've potted up it is time to start moving
them outside on warm days so they're in less danger of damping off by
that time.

The problem with moving them outside to prevent damping off is that it
is usually still too cold outside. I have moved them into better light
and reduced humidity but that usually only results in stopping the
spread of the microorganism. Any plants that were previously infected
usually die. Repotting your plants at this time is probably a good
thing, since any microorganisms in the soil will be removed.

Knucklehead #2
Dora

In article
,
bungadora wrote:

On Mar 26, 11:50*am, Billy wrote:

What really surprises me is that no one caught this gaff.

http://www.gardenersnet.com/atoz/dampingoff.htm
Did you know? Nitrogen in your fertilizer can promote rapid growth of
Damping Off Disease.

(snip)
At least the plants were about ready for larger quarters. I gotta go
re-pot.

- Show quoted text -

From what I've read, it is excessive fertilizing at fault,
particularly but not only nitrogen. I find this interesting because
from what I recall of NPK, all excess nitrogen gets washed out of the
soil anyway.

These plants were just about to come out of their seedling germination
trays and were under lights and over warmth.

Does this perhaps mean that the nitrogen gets bound up
by microorganisms which use it for their own nefarious growth
agendas?
You mean Shrub? I'll have to look into that;-)

I use fish emulsion, but usually after the plants are well
established. I don't usually use it or any other fertilizers when
they're small, and I wish I could say it was because I knew what I was
doing, but it's actually because I don't like the house to smell of
fish.
Oy, tell me about it, my study smelled like a bad fish market.

Usually by the time I've potted up it is time to start moving
them outside on warm days so they're in less danger of damping off by
that time.

The problem with moving them outside to prevent damping off is that it
is usually still too cold outside. I have moved them into better light
and reduced humidity but that usually only results in stopping the
spread of the microorganism.
I'm lucky that the plants are cold hardy plants, although they got
matriculated to the outside quicker than I had planned. The cooling
seems to have given the ol' kibosh to the mold but I'm going to give it
its' coup de gras today with fungi that are on my side.

Any plants that were previously infected
usually die. Repotting your plants at this time is probably a good
thing, since any microorganisms in the soil will be removed.

Knucklehead #2
Dora
"All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They
have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many
parts," including being a knucklehead;-)
--

Billy

Impeach Pelosi, Bush & Cheney to the Hague
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/
http://rachelcorriefoundation.org/

On Mar 29, 1:09*pm, Billy wrote:
In article
,
- Show quoted text -

These plants were just about to come out of their seedling germination
trays and were under lights and over warmth.

Ah well. Big, but not big enough. My sympathies anyway. Been there,
done that.

Does this perhaps mean that the nitrogen gets bound up
by microorganisms which use it for their own nefarious growth
agendas?

You mean Shrub? I'll have to look into that;-)

Not sure what you mean there. I meant soil microorganisms (fungi)
utilizing nitrogen for growth rather like the way phosphates and
nitrates feed plankton.
Just speculating - I don't know enough about the process, but for
nitrogen to promote microorganism/fungal growth there must be a direct
relationship.


Dora
still #2

In article
,
bungadora wrote:

On Mar 29, 1:09*pm, Billy wrote:
In article
,
- Show quoted text -

These plants were just about to come out of their seedling germination
trays and were under lights and over warmth.

Ah well. Big, but not big enough. My sympathies anyway. Been there,
done that.

Does this perhaps mean that the nitrogen gets bound up
by microorganisms which use it for their own nefarious growth
agendas?

You mean Shrub? I'll have to look into that;-)

Not sure what you mean there.
Shrub was the moniker that Molly Ivins gave George W. Bush. I equate ol'
George with Dark Lord Sauron from the "Lord of the Rings". Nothing evil
in this world happens until it is blessed by Shrub. I truly hope to see
him, one day, charged in a court of justice with war crimes, treason,
and malfeasance. No kidding.

I meant soil microorganisms (fungi)
utilizing nitrogen for growth rather like the way phosphates and
nitrates feed plankton.

Nitrogen is used by most organisms to make proteins for, nucleic acids,
enzymes (hormones), or structure (animals).

Just speculating - I don't know enough about the process, but for
nitrogen to promote microorganism/fungal growth there must be a direct
relationship.

Lack of nitrogen (NH3 or NO3) would inhibit growth.

Dora
still #2
--

Billy

Impeach Pelosi, Bush & Cheney to the Hague
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/
http://rachelcorriefoundation.org/

On Mar 29, 8:01*pm, Billy wrote:
In article
,





*bungadora wrote:
On Mar 29, 1:09*pm, Billy wrote:
In article
,
- Show quoted text -

These plants were just about to come out of their seedling germination
trays and were under lights and over warmth.

Ah well. Big, but not big enough. *My sympathies anyway. Been there,
done that.

Does this perhaps mean that the nitrogen gets bound up
by microorganisms which use it for their own nefarious growth
agendas?

You mean Shrub? I'll have to look into that;-)

Not sure what you mean there.

Shrub was the moniker that Molly Ivins gave George W. Bush. I equate ol'
George with Dark Lord Sauron from the "Lord of the Rings". Nothing evil
in this world happens until it is blessed by Shrub. I truly hope to see
him, one day, charged in a court of justice with war crimes, treason,
and malfeasance. No kidding.

I meant soil microorganisms (fungi)
utilizing nitrogen for growth rather like the way phosphates and
nitrates feed plankton.

Nitrogen is used by most organisms to make proteins for, nucleic acids,
enzymes (hormones), or structure (animals).

Just speculating - I don't know enough about the process, but for
nitrogen to promote microorganism/fungal growth there must be a direct
relationship.

Lack of nitrogen (NH3 or NO3) would inhibit growth.

So are you saying that when there is too much nitrogen, that it
promotes growth in fungi. Then once there are enough of them, do they
start withdrawing nutrients, including nitrogen and possibly water
judging from the cellular collapse usually evident, from the plant
itself in order to keep reproducing and growing thus killing the
plant? Just wondering how it works.

When you're #2 you try harder.
Dora

In article
,
bungadora wrote:

On Mar 29, 8:01*pm, Billy wrote:
In article
,





*bungadora wrote:
On Mar 29, 1:09*pm, Billy wrote:
In article
,
- Show quoted text -

These plants were just about to come out of their seedling germination
trays and were under lights and over warmth.

Ah well. Big, but not big enough. *My sympathies anyway. Been there,
done that.

Does this perhaps mean that the nitrogen gets bound up
by microorganisms which use it for their own nefarious growth
agendas?

You mean Shrub? I'll have to look into that;-)

Not sure what you mean there.

Shrub was the moniker that Molly Ivins gave George W. Bush. I equate ol'
George with Dark Lord Sauron from the "Lord of the Rings". Nothing evil
in this world happens until it is blessed by Shrub. I truly hope to see
him, one day, charged in a court of justice with war crimes, treason,
and malfeasance. No kidding.

I meant soil microorganisms (fungi)
utilizing nitrogen for growth rather like the way phosphates and
nitrates feed plankton.

Nitrogen is used by most organisms to make proteins for, nucleic acids,
enzymes (hormones), or structure (animals).

Just speculating - I don't know enough about the process, but for
nitrogen to promote microorganism/fungal growth there must be a direct
relationship.

Lack of nitrogen (NH3 or NO3) would inhibit growth.

So are you saying that when there is too much nitrogen, that it
promotes growth in fungi. Then once there are enough of them, do they
start withdrawing nutrients, including nitrogen and possibly water
judging from the cellular collapse usually evident, from the plant
itself in order to keep reproducing and growing thus killing the
plant? Just wondering how it works.

When you're #2 you try harder.
Dora

yes LOL. Life finds a way.
--

Billy

Impeach Pelosi, Bush & Cheney to the Hague
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/
http://rachelcorriefoundation.org/