Thanks for the info, too late on watering them though, I did it this morning before work after seeing the first reply. How do you tell when the top 2/3 is dry? THe containers are a little small to stick a finger down in there, I'm afraid I'll disturb roots or something. The top layer did feel dry, some of them soaked it up faster than others but it probably wasn't dry that far down. I think some of the peat on the sides is from when I first planted them, I filled the trays and then once I watered, it mostly sank down but some was still around the edges. I have been blowing a fan on them each evening for a couple hours but when I saw them curled up like that I turned it off thinking it was too strong even on low. I've also been turning on the heat when it drops down to 50 to bring it up to 55-60. Should I stop doing that? I will use your suggestion for the rack. I didn't think the lights would make a difference. They aren't hot to the touch and I put the thermometer in the basement right next to a tray under the lights and it didn't seem any different than 6 ft away. I know the Bibb in the pellets doesn't quite have any true leaves yet, they are just starting to come up, but, should I thin those out now? They seem a little crowded to me. What about if 2 seedlings came up right next to each other? Do you snip one off or wait until they are bigger? My peppers just germinated 4 days ago but in 2 of the cells, seeds sprouted right next to another one. Thanks for all the help.

HI Chops, I have checked the two Celeste trees in question and they have not gone dormant. The upper two/thirds of the trees are bare, while the lower third still has it's leaves. The tips of the bare branches are blackish in color. I found this in a Q&A on the ND State Univ site: "That black, sooty stuff is aptly described as "sooty mold." Sooty mold is a charcoal black fungus that appears as a black coating on the surface of leaves, fruits, twigs and the branches of many deciduous and evergreen shrubs and trees. This fungus is not pathogenic to plants, but obtains its nourishment from insect honeydew. Honeydew is a sweet, clear, sticky substance secreted by insects, such as aphids, mealybugs, scales and whiteflies. The honeydew drops from the insects to the leaves and twigs. Wind-blown sooty mold spores (seeds) that stick to the honeydew then have a suitable medium for growth. When spores germinate, they send out black fungus strands (mycelial threads) that bring about the discoloration. A heavy coat of black mold may build up on twigs during more than a growing season. To control or prevent sooty mold, control the insects causing the honeydew deposits. The insects have to be in large numbers somewhere, on the infected plants or tree branches overhead. They will not disappear without some intervention on your part." I have had problems with just about every kind of bug this year. I guess it should be no surprise about the sooty mold. I will try dormant oil once the trees go dormant to see if it helps the situation next year. ~james

Sorry folks. Best to check out Jonathan's pic at http://www.passionflora-images.com/ before commenting, and his text elsewhere, which is, ''Can anyone tell me why the leaves on my P. Picturata seedling a turning reddish maroon? It is about two months old and 8" tall. It is not the new leaves starting red, then turning to green like some passiflora. It is in a small closet on the shelf with high intensity lights and a fan. It stays about 85 degree F (30C) during the day. It is in the one of my three seed trays which does not have bottom heat. Humidity is high and I give it a little water daily.'' The image site is a nuisance because right click is disabled but the pic is the top post on the front page. The colour change is on the top of the leaves in patches and is not the normal anthocyanin pigment production. It is scorth damage in my opinion. Temps that high are good for germination but high intensity light is not good for young seedlings once up. Myles Here is a link that might be useful: Passiflora pigments.

Whoa, those poor plants never even started. feeder roots never developed. Possible a disease like foot rot or fusarium. Most sweet potato have more impact on the potatoes than the foliage, but these never got to the potato stage. Sweet potatoes need well drained loose soil . In compacted wet soil the roots drown. I always plant on a list ( continuos ridge about a foot wide and at least 4 inches above soil level. disussion of the diseases in my area. http://www.ncsweetpotatoes.com/sweet-potato-industry/growing-sweet-potatoes-in-north-carolina/diseases-disorders/ Diseases world wide http://cipotato.org/wp-content/uploads/publication%20files/books/002435.pdf