Is something in my basement causing fungus?

hairmetal4ever

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

I’m having issues with seed starting.

I have tried several types of media (Promix, Black Gold, Miracle Gro).

Captan fungicide doesn’t seem to help. H2O2 hasn’t done much.

Letting the media dry completely doesn’t work.

Onions - low (35%) germination, and some damping off, but the survivors grew well once they got going.

Sweet potato slips - sprouted and grew. I dusted one root with Captan, didn’t dust the other. I planted them in media, not water. Both potatoes rotted once the slips were a few inches high. I was able to save the slips, they rooted and are growing ok.

Tomatoes and peppers seem ok. Broccoli did ok.

Herbs and perennial flowers of most types are pretty adversely affected. Thyme and echinacea the worst.

Light is an 8-tube T5 HO. Air is actually pretty dry, normally under 40% humidity, sometimes lower.

Temp ranges from 60-80°F, (the warmer end is when grow light is on) but lately runs more like 68-80.

Our house sits on a hill. Basement is dry with no water issues, and humidity tends to run low, especially during winter. A bit higher (and warmer temps) now, but not by much.

I can’t figure this out!!! They germinate, at fairly low rates, then turn either a “bleached” color, or a brownish-green color when they die.

I’m beginning to think there is something in the air in my basement.

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Comments (7)

randy41_1
5 years ago
what i think you mean by bleached color can mean too much light. do you use a moisture meter to tell you when to give them water? a more consistent temperature could help with germination (seedling heat mat with a thermostat).
Labradors
5 years ago
Are you watering from the top or the bottom. Could you be watering too much?

I water every day, giving each seedling a desert-spoon of water. That's for 3" pots. When I used smaller pots or cell packs, I gave them just a teaspoon of water every day. This seems to work for me because otherwise I would over-water everything.
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hairmetal4ever
Original Author
5 years ago
I water when the media is near-dry (pale and lightweight to the touch).

I alternate between top and bottom - top to flush excess salts, bottom to keep plants dry.

They dry out quickly, though.
dowlinggram
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
What kind of pro mix did you use? HP drains too fast and is made for plants that don't like wet feet. BX retains the water better and is what I use for starting plants. All purpose has fertilizer and is not good for seedlings. My basement is much like yours in temp. and things grow well. I do have a mylar sheet draped over my lights to reflect the light and keep the plants a little warmer but then the lights are out at night.

I'd say if you are getting mold you are watering too much. At the first sign of mold sprinkle the soil with cinnamon and cut back on the watering. Cinnamon is a natural fungacide but it has to be used at the first sign of mold. Cuttings do better if put of a heating mat. I started 38 pelargonium cuttings and ended up with 32 plants. Fungus needs cool and wet to grow.

Some seeds like heating mats too but not all. Look at the germination temp. If it's 60 to 70 you'll kill the seed if put on a heating mat. My friend started her snapdragons on a heating mat and got not one plant. The higher temp. killed all the seed. However those that like higher temps. for germination benefit from the mat.
Jean
5 years ago
any chance of pictures?
susanzone5 (NY)
5 years ago
You need constant airflow from a fan or slightly open window in the seedling room.

Sprinkling a layer of shredded sphagnum moss (I use No Damp Off) on top of soil after planting seeds, will help prevent mold growth.

Bottom water only and no heat mat after germination. I keep my plants at 65 degrees or less. Washing out salts isn't needed for seedlings that are in pots a short time before planting out. That's what we do for houseplants.
CA Kate z9
5 years ago
Try watering with a weak Chamomile tea. Also, putting a thin layer of sand at the top level is suppose to help because it dries out quickly. I haven't tried the later, but have had good success with the tea.

Is something in my basement causing fungus?

Comments (7)

randy41_1

Labradors

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hairmetal4ever
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Is something in my basement causing fungus?

Comments (7)

randy41_1

Labradors

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hairmetal4everOriginal Author

dowlinggram

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hairmetal4ever
Original Author