Why are my seedlings dying?!!
 

I've got various seedlings in pots around my flat (cold frame hasn't yet arrived). The Globe Thistle, Lavatera, Zinnia, Lobelia - all fine. But the Laurentia and Salvia are dying left right and centre!!! I started with about 40 Salvia - now I've got 8 - and every morning yet another one is shrivelling.

I'm watering from below, not watering too much, standing them in light, treated them with fungicide in case (although no real signs). They aren't flopping over - just shrivelling!!! And they aren't growing very fast - only one Laurentia has any true leaves (I planted them about 1.5 months ago).

Any ideas??!!

Thanks

Zoe

"ZoeM" wrote in message
...

I've got various seedlings in pots around my flat (cold
frame hasn't yet
arrived). The Globe Thistle, Lavatera, Zinnia, Lobelia -
all fine. But
the Laurentia and Salvia are dying left right and
centre!!! I started
with about 40 Salvia - now I've got 8 - and every morning
yet another
one is shrivelling.

I'm watering from below, not watering too much, standing
them in light,
treated them with fungicide in case (although no real
signs). They
aren't flopping over - just shrivelling!!! And they
aren't growing
very fast - only one Laurentia has any true leaves (I
planted them
about 1.5 months ago).

Any ideas??!!

Thanks

Zoe

Slugs ? I found one that had climbed onto a bench and
appeared to have been damaging some of my seedlings in the
greenhouse. Gave it to the birds....

Bevan

ZoeM wrote:
I've got various seedlings in pots around my flat (cold frame hasn't yet
arrived). The Globe Thistle, Lavatera, Zinnia, Lobelia - all fine. But
the Laurentia and Salvia are dying left right and centre!!!

I haven't got Laurentia, but all my Salvia are also dead.

Like you, I've been very careful WRT heat, light, and moisture (no
damping off), but despite doing everything by the book, they've died
anyway. Unlike you, all mine keeled over first, before shrivelling to a
crisp.

Maybe it's just a bad year for Salvia. Mine actually died within less
than 24 hours of arriving, so Suttons have agreed to replace them. They
don't have any Salvia left in stock, so they're sending Gaillardia
'Arizona Sun' instead.

I used a very well drained potting mix with a handful of Growmore and
Vermiculite, just like I do with all my other young plants. 99% of them
love it, but the Salvia didn't, for some reason.

Where did you get yours? Were they last years seeds or this years
mini-plants bought in?

It's a mystery for sure - maybe some Salvia disease is sweeping the country.

-
[H]omer

][/color]

I haven't got Laurentia, but all my Salvia are also dead.

Like you, I've been very careful WRT heat, light, and moisture (no
damping off), but despite doing everything by the book, they've died
anyway. Unlike you, all mine keeled over first, before shrivelling to a
crisp.

Maybe it's just a bad year for Salvia. Mine actually died within less
than 24 hours of arriving, so Suttons have agreed to replace them. They
don't have any Salvia left in stock, so they're sending Gaillardia
'Arizona Sun' instead.

I used a very well drained potting mix with a handful of Growmore and
Vermiculite, just like I do with all my other young plants. 99% of them
love it, but the Salvia didn't, for some reason.

Where did you get yours? Were they last years seeds or this years
mini-plants bought in?

It's a mystery for sure - maybe some Salvia disease is sweeping the country.

-
[H]omer[/quote]


Actually, now I think about it, they were seeds that came free with a magazine last year. I think I might have transplanted them too early. Although I did that quite a while ago now - so I don't know why they're still dying. Perhaps not enough light. I know they can be prone to mildew/damping off.

Zoe

"ZoeM" wrote in message
...

I've got various seedlings in pots around my flat (cold frame hasn't yet
arrived). The Globe Thistle, Lavatera, Zinnia, Lobelia - all fine. But
the Laurentia and Salvia are dying left right and centre!!! I started
with about 40 Salvia - now I've got 8 - and every morning yet another
one is shrivelling.

I'm watering from below, not watering too much, standing them in light,
treated them with fungicide in case (although no real signs). They
aren't flopping over - just shrivelling!!! And they aren't growing
very fast - only one Laurentia has any true leaves (I planted them
about 1.5 months ago).

I'm having the same problems too, although mine are with all my tomato,
peppers, cucumbers, capsicums etc.
Slow to germinate and then growth remains static for weeks at the seed -leaf
stage. I've even resown everything but results are the same. Never had this
problem before and I've followed the same practices and conditions as I've
always done for years.
But......after a lot of cussing and head scratching I think the problem may
be that I've used old general-purpose compost left over from last
year....and I think its gone sour !
So I'm going to try yet again, with fresh medium.

vsop