Seed starting ......what I should have done and didn't

16 years ago

I recently have been reminded that there are just some things you should not do in haste. I omitted adding a couple amendments to my potting mix this year, and am now paying the price for not taking the time to go to the garden supply store and get what I normally would have used before planting my seeds. The Epsom salt that I normally add, the sulfer that I normally add, the soil conditioner that I normally add, and the dolomitic lime that I usually add were used up so I just went on my merry way and potted seeds anyway. Payback as they say is a real _____! Several days ago I noticed a shift in the color of my seedlings, as they started to take on a chartreuse coloration. Many were beginning to show signs of interveinal chlorosis....the youngest growth showing the most extreme discoloration (some of which had paled to near yellow. Over the course of the next couple days I began to see leaf tip scorch on the older leaves and marginal scorch on some of the taller leaves. Put the ole moisture gauge down deep into a couple of my cups and the needle moved to the high side of wet. First thing I did was drain my reservoirs completely. Then since I had been giving my plants dilute 20-20-20 after they reached 4" height (they got that once every 7 days), but I think the overly wet soil was not allowing for proper uptake of nutrients. So I took a couple pots of less concerned about seedlings and decided to experiment. First thing I tried was chelated iron in a foliar spray....nothing. And that's when I remembered that if the plant is deplete in magnesiun it will not be able to take up iron even if it is suffering from iron deficiency. So I mixed a very small amount of epsom salt in a half gallon of water and watered the plants and then waited 5-6 hours. I then applied dilute chelated iron to the leaves again and sure enough the green began to return first darkening the veins and then the leaf tips on down. I was still struggling on the leaf tip wilt/scorch and marginal necrosis in the older leaves. I took a ph meter and tested a soil sample from one of my cups. The ph read in the 6.4 Â 6.6 range. I talked to a couple AG professionals who suggested trying a light foliar application of calcium nitrate. So far the scorch has come to a complete stop. Two days now since doing this and the plants are starting to look normal again, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I will not be making these mistakes again....it's better to do it right from the start. This is the first time I have ever encountered this many problems occuring at such a rapid pace. And from now on, I will NEVER bottom water if I don't have soil conditioner or pine bark fines mixed in with my ProMix potting soil.

Linda

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Comments (5)

okbt
16 years ago
Linda,what is the ratio that you add your amendments to the ProMix? I didn't know you had to add to it.I have experienced the same symptoms (plus gnats) and have not started any more seeds yet as I was afraid I would lose them too.

Betsy
opnjmprs
Original Author
16 years ago
Betsy, SO sorry to read that you have been having problems also. So far.....fungus gnats are not on my present list of problems...Thank God for small favors. I really have had enough to deal with, so I'm very thankful that fungus gnats isn't on the list too. I would guess that everyone has different mixes that they use for their seeds. This is a potting mix recipe I came across a while back and it works well. That is if you don't do something stupid like I did and not follow it. :-( 1-2 cu. ft. bag of pine bark fines or soil conditioner. Then add (1) 2lb can of Pro Mix If the ProMix you are using already has perlite in it, you only need to add 3lb medium grade, if it doesn't have any perlite, you should add (2) 2lb. coffee cans of perlite. If the ProMix you use has Limestone added you should throw in a handful of dolomitic lime. If it doesn't have any....you should add 1/4 cup dolomitic lime (not high calcium and not peletized). Add 1/4 cup agricultural gypsum, 1/4 cup Miracle Grow 20-20-20 or any other water soluable complete fertilizer. Add 1/8 cup Epsom Salts, and 2 TBS garden sulfur. 1 1/3 cup Merit Granular (optional to control fungus gnats). I've never used the Merit insecticide, because I've never had fungus gnat problems (knock on wood). Anyway.....you need to mix these ingredients real well dry, and then mix thoroughly again when wetting. Like I said earlier.... I'm sure this is but one variation on a theme, but if followed it does seem to work quite well. Hope this helps.

Linda
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okbt
16 years ago
Thanks for the recipe,Linda. As soon as I dig out of this snow tomorrow I am heading to the garden center to get the ingredients. I have really been missing that green!

Betsy
beaufort-2006
16 years ago
Hi Linda sounds interesting I did have a problem with mericle grow as I did have a problem with gnats and will never use that product again I have been useing one that is close to yours but have had a few problems with the tips will try your formula thanks DICK
opnjmprs
Original Author
16 years ago
I just thought I would post some pix so you can see what has been going on. I wish I had thought to take pix at the height of the disaster, but was trying to stay focused on correcting the problems. These pix show the seedlings in day 5 of recovering. I have at this time not used Epsom salt solution on all plants. I only used it on the ones that looked most problematic. The first pix is of the most stricken group of seedlings. Five days ago the new growth of these seedlings were creamy yellow to near white. I started experimenting with this cross first. The next 3 pix show seedlings that have improved tremendously, but are still showing signs of some interveinal chlorosis. These will be getting a little epsom salt solution today. In the upper mid region of the last pix you can see a couple leaves that show leaf tip scorch as well as marginal necrosis. The oldest of these seedlings are aprox. 4 weeks vegitative growth.

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Seed starting ......what I should have done and didn't

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okbt

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Seed starting ......what I should have done and didn't

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okbt

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