I used two teabags in a regular-sized tea pot and watered twice in succession. It may have worked since i haven't had damp-off for two years now. Apparently, you can also sprinkle cinnamon on the seed-starting mix for this as well.

I didn't know it was supposed to be weak, I have been using 2 teabags in 1.5L of water, and leaving the bags in until it cools. I guess that would be pretty strong. It's very yellow anyway.

I haven't had any damping off but I have no idea if I would have otherwise because I just started indoor sowing on a large scale this spring.

Well I tried the Chamomile tea this year. I use a Litre of water, two tea bags and let it steep all day....its a very dark color. I haven't had any damp-off problems since I started using it. I just spray it on when sowing the seeds and when they start to germinate. This was the first year I had some damp-off problems....I guess my basement is a little cooler this year for some reason.

Sierra

the cinnimon trick worked for me this year.

I let mine steep quite awhile too - no idea if it's supposed to be weak or strong, though.

I used someone else's recipe and it seems to work also. 3 bags in water (I use about a pint) for 20 min. Let cool then transfer to gallon (Milk?) jug. Add water to make gallon. I can then water with it, or spray to moisten the surface of my seeding mix to help the babies emerge, or both. This is my first year using it and so far so good. Smells a heck of alot better than no-damp too.

If you do not use all the tea does it keep for the next time or do you have to throw it out? Can you freeze it and thaw in the microwave to use it next time? Do you have to use it fresh?

Brenda

Brenda I asked the same thing awhile back and nobody said anything one way or the other. I have been keeping mine in a closed spray bottle for a couple of days at a time until I use it all. Haven't had any adverse effects. I don't know if it would go moldy or what if you left it too long - I know regular tea and coffee get mold on the top but I haven't seen any on chamomile tea.

I think freezing it would work fine if you wanted to keep it longer.

Well I don't have an answer......but I only made a 1/2 litre the first time and went through it so fast that I made a full litre the second time. Its sitting in the spray bottle......I would think it would be fine for a couple weeks at least. If it goes moldy just wash out your bottle with soap....and make a fresh batch. I don't see that as a big deal.....Why bother with the extra time of freezing and thawing.....

I used some this morning and this batch has been sitting in the bottle for at least a week.

Sierra

I've been using the cinnamon this year with success and no signs of damping off. However, I have had a bit more algae gunk and white fuzzy mold. I'm keeping things much, much drier than last year and some of the containers seem to have more mold than last year. The only thing I did different this year was to put in a bit of gel crystals into my seed starting mix. That could be what is causing it.

Anyway, I bought some tea and I was sure I had picked up a box of chamomile. When I got it home, it was peppermint tea. Letting my Scottish nature shine through, I decided to try it as a soak. After researching a bit, "Byron's Tea Recipe" (search Garden Web for it) says you can use any type of tea to assist germination and somewhere I saw that peppermint tea was good to get rid of fungus gnats. I haven't had a fungus gnat problem yet, but a bit of foresight never hurt. Anyway, everything got a bottom watering with peppermint tea today and a slight misting. (I know, I know, no misting, but I just couldn't help myself). Keep your fingers crossed that when I go down to check everything tonight, that all my babies aren't keeled over.

Shauna

Fingers crossed for ya Shauna. I know where you're coming from - I'm Scottish too. ;0) That's why some of my seedling trays have 2 different kinds of seedlings in the same pots - I was too cheap to throw out the soil of things that didn't sprout - then they did sprout later. If it wasn't for my cheapness I would have no Alyssum saxatile and only a few columbines! (BTW I did transplant the strays to separate them)

Let us know how the peppermint does for ya. My basement is full of fungus gnats!! My sticky strips are furry with them and more keep coming.

That would be GREAT for when the fungus gnats strike! So far this year i've had no problem with them - - - - omg, it just occurred to me that i haven't had aphids all winter either! I hope i haven't jinxed it by thinking about them! LOL

So far, so good. Everything looks fine. And I could be absolutely crazy, but I think I have some lobelia sprouts in a blank part of one container that wasn't there before. The rest of the lobelia in that container is at least 2" tall already. I'll try to find the source of that information on the fungus gnat trick.

Another trick to get rid of some of the gnats, and I know for sure this works because I tried it last year, is to put out a pan of apple cider vinegar. They seem to go for it. Change it when it starts to get black with the "flies". It doesn't do anything for the larvae in the soil but it gets the adults that are flying around. Of course, by the time I started that, it was too late to break the cycle and I was moving everything outside.

Shauna

Fungus gnats. so that is what those wee buggers are. Peppermint tea, coming right up.

Last year, I had no problems with damp off on my seedlings. I did the cinnamon trick on only the godetia seedlings as a preventative. This year, my godetia started to fall over. Out came the cinnamon again and the damp off has came to a halt.

I was reading today an article in a magazine and they said to water only in the mornings. That damp off happens when you put your seedlings to bed wet.

Shelley

I have been steeping camomille tea along with my compost for a couple of years now and haven't had a problem with damp-off. I have had beautiful sprouts with good root growth. Not sure if its the compost tea or the camomille, but either way, why change what works!

Would it work to just add cinnamon to the chamomile tea as it's brewing as opposed to sprinkling it on the surface? I recently had an unfortunate over watering incident and am trying to save as many of the little growies as I can.

I don't think you have to use them together, Ruggy, though i'm not sure if it would hurt. Probably not. And if you water from the bottom, it's better for the babies. :)

Hi everyone,

Just found this link about seedling damp off. Has anyone ever tried using garlic?

Chantal

Here is a link that might be useful: Garlic for Seedling Damp Off