Topic: Tomato seedling murderer me

[thexman]

I plant tomato seeds in a propagator, which is kept in the house in the warm.

The seeds germinate, are allowed to grow somewhat, but before they get too leggy, I lift them out of the compost using a spoon, making sure that they remain surrounded by compost.

They are then grown on in a flower pot in the house, watered using tepid water.

But several of them have gone limp and died, up to a week following the transplant.

What is going on?

[BarriedaleNick]

Could be damping off - https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=151
It is quite common.

[brownthumb2]

 I have read a dusting of cinnamon will help to avoid this   But never tried it my self 

[saddad]

We are about to venture into mass murder... our 30+ little pots of tomato seedlings need pricking out..

[Digeroo]

a dusting of cinnamon

I do like this idea.  I will try on  cabbages, I always seem to murder them.

[Deb P]

I spray my seedlings with dilute seaweed solution for a few days before and every day after transplanting and that seems to help them withstand the transplant shock. I'm having trouble with damping off of zinnia seedlings in one tray of modules that haven't been transplanted, makes you wonder if it's a grubby tray?

[sunloving]

I spray my seedlings with dilute seaweed solution for a few days before and every day after transplanting and that seems to help them withstand the transplant shock. I'm having trouble with damping off of zinnia seedlings in one tray of modules that haven't been transplanted, makes you wonder if it's a grubby tray?

Debs zinnias are notorious for hating root disturbance  I ve
taken to sowing mine individually into plug trays seems to do the trick, good luck !

[Tee Gee]

They are then grown on in a flower pot in the house, watered using tepid water.

Your drowning them I think.

I prick out in damp compost and don' water again as such for another couple of weeks or so.

However subject to the weather and humidity in the greenhouse, I mist  them with my pump spray with half strength balanced fertiliser in if I think they need it.

With the weather we have been having recently I have only been spraying about twice a week, although they are now getting to a size where I might start watering them now.

As with all my stuff I try to find an human analogy that fits a plants needs and the one I use in this case  is; you  start feeding and watering a baby very little often, and it is sometime until it needs a full bottle every day, plants are no different.

[Deb P]

I spray my seedlings with dilute seaweed solution for a few days before and every day after transplanting and that seems to help them withstand the transplant shock. I'm having trouble with damping off of zinnia seedlings in one tray of modules that haven't been transplanted, makes you wonder if it's a grubby tray?

Debs zinnias are notorious for hating root disturbance  I ve
taken to sowing mine individually into plug trays seems to do the trick, good luck !

These were in modules not transplanted, that's why I'm a bit bemused!

[thexman]

Tee Gee,
I'm guessing you might be right.
I raise them in a propagator, which gets uncovered when they are still quite small.
After that they remain in the house but still uncovered.
It could be something in the compost, but I think the watering option looks best.

[Tee Gee]

It could be something in the compost.

This too!

I have noticed that the modern peat free / reduced varieties do not dry out as quickly as the peat based varieties did, meaning too much watering can saturate the compost, the roots get quite cold and do not develop in such conditions.

I know I get quite miserable when my feet are wet!

[thexman]

It is all rather depressing, though, since some of the plants were quite rare or expensive. Quite why they died and others survived, despite being grown in similar conditions, is one of the mysteries of nature. Thank goodness I always over sow.

[George the Pigman]

I've always been wary about starting tomato seeds off too early myself. In Birmingham we can get pretty cold winters with frosts up to May.I haven't got a heated greenhouse (only a cold one) and there aren't many places in our house with good enough light to avoid plants getting too leggy. When they get like that I find they rarely transplant well.
Starting my seeds today.

[bluecar]

Unfortunately mine have gone leggy. Is there a way of salvaging them or should I start again?

Regards

Bluecar

[johhnyco15]

Unfortunately mine have gone leggy. Is there a way of salvaging them or should I start again?

Regards

Bluecar

yes pot them on as deep in the pot as the pot allows try to just leave an inch of tomato out of the top the stem will root aswell as the roots hope this helps

[Tee Gee]

yes pot them on as deep in the pot as the pot allows try to just leave an inch of tomato out of the top the stem will root aswell as the roots hope this helps

Agreed!