I am looking for some help about growing plants from seed. I have twice
gotten some flax started by seed, and after they've gotten to about 1" tall,
they keel over and die. Any thoughts about why? I'm reluctant to just keep
planting more until I have a good chance of success. I've heard of
'damping off', but other than it having an eerie name, have no idea what
causes it, how to stop having it, or, indeed, even whether my plants are
suffering from it.

On another subject, I got some basil going and transplanted the plants
outside at about 3". The leaves immediately started turning yellow and then
black and the plants died. Can anyone give me an idea of what might have
caused this?

I have had success with starting other plants from seed and transplanting
them, so it must be something specific to these two.

TIA

Bernard Golden

Flax is really easy to start from seed. Your seedlings falling over does
sound like damping off, this is usually an indication that you're over
watering.
cheers
Jim


In article , "Bernard Golden"
wrote:
I am looking for some help about growing plants from seed. I have twice
gotten some flax started by seed, and after they've gotten to about 1" tall,
they keel over and die. Any thoughts about why? I'm reluctant to just keep
planting more until I have a good chance of success. I've heard of
'damping off', but other than it having an eerie name, have no idea what
causes it, how to stop having it, or, indeed, even whether my plants are
suffering from it.

On another subject, I got some basil going and transplanted the plants
outside at about 3". The leaves immediately started turning yellow and then
black and the plants died. Can anyone give me an idea of what might have
caused this?

I have had success with starting other plants from seed and transplanting
them, so it must be something specific to these two.

TIA

Bernard Golden

Basil, especially seedlings, is very intolerant of cold temperatures. You
don't say where you live, but if your nighttime temperatures have even a
chance of falling below 50F., it's too early for basil. I have some in pots
I put out on sunny days, but bring in at night, and I won't plant it out for
weeks to come, and I'll harden them off before I do. I'm not sure why I
bother, except for the pleasure of watching them grow, because direct
seeding in the garden once the soil warms up will give me plants big enough
to pick from at about the same time the transplants get going.

Sue

Zone 6, Southcentral PA

On another subject, I got some basil going and transplanted the plants
outside at about 3". The leaves immediately started turning yellow and
then
black and the plants died. Can anyone give me an idea of what might have
caused this?

I have had success with starting other plants from seed and transplanting
them, so it must be something specific to these two.

TIA

Bernard Golden

I live in Silicon Valley and it's been down in the 40s, if not 30s this past
couple of weeks, so perhaps I need to try a new batch of seedlings and put
them out later. I've gotten spoiled living here, where everything seems to
be ok year-round, not like other places. My cousin lives outside of Chicago
and we were talking about planting annual flowers and he said, 'I usually
put them out around May 10, when I can be sure we're past the last frost of
the year'. I shivered just hearing that!

Bernard


"SugarChile" wrote in message
rthlink.net...
Basil, especially seedlings, is very intolerant of cold temperatures. You
don't say where you live, but if your nighttime temperatures have even a
chance of falling below 50F., it's too early for basil. I have some in
pots
I put out on sunny days, but bring in at night, and I won't plant it out
for
weeks to come, and I'll harden them off before I do. I'm not sure why I
bother, except for the pleasure of watching them grow, because direct
seeding in the garden once the soil warms up will give me plants big
enough
to pick from at about the same time the transplants get going.

Sue

Zone 6, Southcentral PA

On another subject, I got some basil going and transplanted the plants
outside at about 3". The leaves immediately started turning yellow and
then
black and the plants died. Can anyone give me an idea of what might
have
caused this?

I have had success with starting other plants from seed and
transplanting
them, so it must be something specific to these two.

TIA

Bernard Golden