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Old 28-03-2003, 11:44 AM
Barbara B
 
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Default Seedlings going mouldy

My son is having severe problems with his seedlings which germinate fine but
then get covered in mould and die. He says the temperature is right and the
compost is not too moist. They are in a heated outhouse with windows. Any
suggestions? Also his oak tree seedlings which have been growing nicely in
the conservatory all winter have mould on the compost. He is trying to grow
wild and native trees and shrubs for his 2 acres of organic bird friendly
garden. He wants to avoid using peat but found coir too fickle (either soggy
or bone dry).
Any suggestions for him - he hasn't mastered newsgroups yet!
BarbaraB


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Old 28-03-2003, 12:56 PM
hayley
 
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Default Seedlings going mouldy


"Barbara B" wrote in message
. ..
My son is having severe problems with his seedlings which germinate fine

but
then get covered in mould and die.


do they start to shrivel up and die from the base? It sounds like it could
be "damping off". Making sure all trays, pots etc are really clean before
starting and water with copper fungicide after planting can help.
Hayley


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Old 28-03-2003, 02:44 PM
Kay Easton
 
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Default Seedlings going mouldy

In article , Barbara B
writes
My son is having severe problems with his seedlings which germinate fine but
then get covered in mould and die. He says the temperature is right and the
compost is not too moist. They are in a heated outhouse with windows. Any
suggestions?


better ventilation - spread the seedlings out more, take the lid off the
propagator if there is one, remove any dead mouldy bits.

It's less of a problem later on - try re-seeding.

Also his oak tree seedlings which have been growing nicely in
the conservatory all winter have mould on the compost.


That shouldn't be a problem. Remove the mouldy bit. The seedlings should
be OK.
I'd have thought oak seedling would have preferred to be somewhat cooler
over the winter - an unheated conservatory, for example, or even
outside, though prolongue freezing s9olid of the soil in the pots could
give drought problems.

He is trying to grow
wild and native trees and shrubs for his 2 acres of organic bird friendly
garden. He wants to avoid using peat but found coir too fickle (either soggy
or bone dry).


I've found New Horizon (based on wood chippings) OK. I sow seeds in pots
which I then stand in a waterproof tray, so if it dries out the tray
catches the water and allows it to soak up into the pots.

He'll also find a lot of the natives germinate better after a cold
period - good approach is to sow everything, and anything that hasn't
germinated in the first year, leave it outside (protected from
waterlogging) over winter - next spring a host more seeds germinate.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/garden/
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Old 28-03-2003, 11:20 PM
shannie
 
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Default Seedlings going mouldy

This is in no way scientific, just something that worked for us. My daughter
on a walk two years ago picked up an acorn. She put it in some potting
compost and we left it on our bathroom window sill. (west facing) it
sprouted and grew to about twelve inches over time. Last summer I put it out
in the front garden still in its pot in the sun one day and promptly forgot
all about it! Whilst out in the garden the other day I spotted it and lo and
behold it has three small branches with a sticky bud on each, it survived
the entire autumn and winter (the wettest in this area on record).Today I
planted in a nursery bed it had a lovely big healthy looking root system.
With a bit of luck her great grandchildren will tell the story of how it was
grown. Im sure if we'd nurtured it we'd probably have killed it. We also
have a chestnut tree a little over 6' tall now that one of the kids had for
a game of 'conkers' seven years ago, again I just stuck it in some potting
compost and left it on a window sill till it show'd some growth and put it
outside, its lovely and healthy covered in sticky buds, when it's in full
leaf I'll post some pics.

Shan(Ireland)

"Barbara B" wrote in message
. ..
Also his oak tree seedlings which have been growing nicely in
the conservatory all winter have mould on the compost. He is trying to

grow
wild and native trees and shrubs for his 2 acres of organic bird friendly
garden.




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Old 29-03-2003, 02:44 AM
Janet Galpin and Oliver Patterson
 
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Default Seedlings going mouldy

The message
from "Barbara B" contains these words:

My son is having severe problems with his seedlings which germinate fine but
then get covered in mould and die. He says the temperature is right and the
compost is not too moist. They are in a heated outhouse with windows. Any
suggestions? Also his oak tree seedlings which have been growing nicely in
the conservatory all winter have mould on the compost. He is trying to grow
wild and native trees and shrubs for his 2 acres of organic bird friendly
garden. He wants to avoid using peat but found coir too fickle (either soggy
or bone dry).


Native shrubs and trees would probably be better off kept outside from
sowing right through to germination and growing on. They would all grow
on tougher and more hardy that way.

Janet G


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Old 28-04-2003, 12:44 AM
Alan Holmes
 
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Default Seedlings going mouldy


"Barbara B" wrote in message
. ..
My son is having severe problems with his seedlings which germinate fine

but
then get covered in mould and die. He says the temperature is right and

the
compost is not too moist. They are in a heated outhouse with windows. Any
suggestions? Also his oak tree seedlings which have been growing nicely in
the conservatory all winter have mould on the compost. He is trying to

grow
wild and native trees and shrubs for his 2 acres of organic bird friendly
garden. He wants to avoid using peat but found coir too fickle (either

soggy
or bone dry).


Oak trees should be grown outside all the time, it is wrong to try to grow
them
in sheltered conditions.

Alan
--
Reply to alan(at)windsor-berks(dot)freeserve(dot)co(dot)uk



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Old 28-04-2003, 11:32 AM
Victoria Clare
 
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Default Seedlings going mouldy

"Alan Holmes" wrote in
:

He is trying to
grow
wild and native trees and shrubs for his 2 acres of organic bird
friendly garden. He wants to avoid using peat but found coir too
fickle (either

soggy
or bone dry).


Oak trees should be grown outside all the time, it is wrong to try to
grow them
in sheltered conditions.


And they don't need peat or coir compost either! I plant native trees and
shrubs in a shovelful of ordinary soil, if growing in a pot for
convenience, and then just leave outside. They grow like mad.

Maybe in a shady spot in the greenhouse over the winter, if something
particularly prone to slugs or infestation, but definitely nowhere heated.

However, if he wants really native shrubs, you might want to suggest he
just doesn't mow the borders for a year or so, then goes round with a
trowel moving the resulting saplings to the right places.

My garden is full of hawthorn, hazel, oak, holly, elder and ash seedlings
that have found their own way the I have no idea where the oaks come
from, as the nearest oak tree is some distance away, but the hazels are
self-seeding from the hedgerows, ash arrives by wind-power, and I'm fairly
sure the elder, hawthorn and holly are delivered by bird-power!

My problem is keeping the damn things down: I have enough trees already.

Victoria


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