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Hydroponics garden

Hydroponics Newbie & Damping Off

last year

i’ve recently begun hydroponics in a small way with aerogarden type setups. Lettuce and tomatoes did great as did coleus and moonflower vine. But most of the flower seeds I planted 9 days ago came up but then just sat there. Virtually no roots at all or growth. The stems are spindly and overly long, droopy. Does this sound like damping off? I washed the water reservoirs with bleachy water to hopefully sterilize before I replanted with new pods. No idea what to do next to prevent this from happening again. TIA.

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Comment (1)

S. H.
10 months ago
It sounds like you're experiencing some challenges with your hydroponics setup, particularly with your flower seeds. The symptoms you're describing - spindly, long, droopy stems and lack of root growth - could indeed be signs of damping off, which is a fungal disease that affects seedlings.

Damping off can be caused by a variety of fungi, including Pythium, Fusarium, and Rhizoctonia species. These fungi thrive in conditions where there's excessive moisture and poor air circulation. Here are some steps you can take to prevent this issue in the future:
1. Sterilize Your Equipment: You've already taken this step by washing your water reservoirs with bleachy water, which is great. It's crucial to ensure all your equipment is clean before you start planting.
2. Improve Air Circulation: Good air circulation can help prevent the growth of fungi. If possible, consider adding a small fan to your setup to improve air movement.
3. Control Humidity: High humidity can create an environment conducive to fungal growth. Try to keep the humidity levels in your growing area in check.
4. Avoid Overwatering: Overwatering can lead to excessive moisture, which can promote fungal growth. In a hydroponic setup, this could mean ensuring that your water pumps are not running too frequently or for too long.
5. Use Fungicide: If you continue to have issues with damping off, you might want to consider using a fungicide. There are many products available that are safe for use in hydroponic systems.
6. Healthy Seeds: Ensure that you're starting with healthy, high-quality seeds. Poor quality or old seeds may be more susceptible to diseases.
Remember, it's important to monitor your plants closely and adjust your care practices as needed. Hydroponics can be a bit of a learning curve, but with patience and careful observation, you can create a thriving garden.

FromHydroponic Harmony to you, may your day be as fruitful as our gardens!
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Thank you all for your responses - they're very encouraging. I know there are countless varieties of fungi out there, that many of them are beneficial, and I'd read somewhere the list of 4-6 specific ones that cause damping-off ... I just jumped to conclusions and figured with my luck, I probably had one of those. The flats are in the house - only 3 seeds have sprouted so far, but I expect the rest won't be far behind. Once they're all up, I'd like to move them out to the greenhouse, which is kept around 50 degrees at night, and about 65-70 on a sunny day - though it would easily climb higher if I let it. I was thinking the best time for this is when they have their first set of true leaves. Any suggestions? I tried starting seeds indoors years ago, with little success. This year, with the greenhouse, I thought I'd have a go at it again because of the lower cost, greater variety available, greater satisfaction of growing from seed ... and, despite the wonderful flowers, herbs and a few veggies growing out in the greenhouse, I just can't wait for spring! It's good to hear of your respective successes, and to see the pictures you posted. Diane, wishing you continued success.
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Here's another, halway: My wife's cat got to my plants and pulled my seedlings out of the pots and just left them laying next to the tray. Didn't try to eat them or anything and didn't just stop on 1 or 2. It's like he did it just to piss me off. It worked. I woke up to that this morning.
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Mike, you're right that not all cherries are determinates. I guess I mean, pick a determinate with small fruits. Yes, you need to check the package to find out if it's determinate and also check the normal height. Keeping in mind, of course, that height is based on soil growth in summer. Point is, small fruits will do better with lower quality light than something like a Brandywine and the plants are more manageable. That's not completely surprising on your sunlight issue, Mike. If I'm right, you live in an area that has a climate affected by lake effect (Reading or thereabouts), though maybe on the outskirts. The original poster, bgaviator, lives in zone 6. That tells me that he/she lives in the southern half of the state. Which means they get nearly identical weather to me. I got a great early start on my crappy little tarp style greenhouse because January and February were exceptionally sunny this year. Clear skies brought exceptional cold, but allowed the greenhouse to heat up during the day. Unfortunately, I had to bring plants in the house at night. However, you are absolutely right in that some years we don't get such great sunlight. Last year we had so much rain in the unseasonably warm winter that it was like sun would never return. Anyway, the fact that we have gotten such great sunlight on average in the winter has made us consider installing a sunroom for growing some plants in the winter and supplementing with lights because of the shorter days. It's also worth noting that cloudy skies don't mean inadequate sunlight. I'm happy to sell you a lux meter to help confirm this if you are interested. I carry a wide range. . . Yep, I just spammed the forum. Bwahahaha!
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Nice overview. I would also recommend BACI's hydroponic FAQs for more detailed information. These are available by doing a search in this forum for "FAQ".
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