Damping Off - AKA Seedling Death

I've learned something new today, and just in time too. This morning when I checked on my week old sprouts I notices a few, particularly the broccoli and chard, were not looking too hot.  Fortunately this was covered the exact same day in my gardening class, Damping-off was the phrase.  I was too reluctant to ask what this term meant, but I had a good idea and the internet helped me confirm my suspicions in anonymity.


"Damping-off is a general term applied to the rotting of seeds, germinants, and succulent seedlings. There are two stages: pre-emergence damping-off kills seeds and germinants before they emerge, post-emergence damping-off affects young seedlings after emergence." - http://forestry-dev.org/diseases/nursery/pests/damping_e.html

Symptoms
Post-emergence symptoms include: fallen sprouts, indented lesions around base of stem, slimy stem, sprout discoloration and wilting.  Pre-emergence is harder to diagnose, usually the only sign is that the seed did not sprout.  You can dig up the seed and inspect it for decay to confirm the problem.  The main cause is fungal.  The problems are brought about by over watering (most common), and infected seeds, soil, water or tools.

Treatment
The best way to control the problem is to prevent the various fungi from developing in your growing medium.  For starters, your plants need good airflow. You want to keep the top of your growing medium dry while maintaining good moisture (not soaked) below.  You can also try some anti-fungal treatments, sprinkling cinnamon on the surface of your freshly planted seeds will destroy fungus on the surface. You can also try spraying your plants with a little chamomile tea, which is also anti-fungal.  There are of course commercial products available too.

For more information I found a great article about damping-off over at Tom Clothier's Garden Walk & Talk, check it out when you get a chance.

Until next time growers.