I sowed some Lobelia Cardinalis on Christmas day and they are just showing signs of germinating. I have read they are prone to damping off. So I looked for some solutions. Seems cinnamon powder is very good. Has anyone tried this?
No, but thanks for reminding me to start sowing things indoors!
Sowing things is keeping me sane.
I'm fairly certain I lost that battle a long time ago!
Never tried cinnamon but have read about it in various blogs and websites this winter and plan to try it for tiny seeds in conjunction with sowing very thinly and watering seed trays from the bottom.
Given the problems obtaining the plants I wanted last year with all the lockdown restrictions I shall be sowing far more this year rather than buying plugs and trays of small plants and don't want to be wasting either seed or compost or space on failures.
I have so far tried it on some very tiny lobelia seedlings. I have a module with nine divisions and tried it on two so far. They do not seem to have minded the dusting. So I have added some more. On the one hand they like moisture and on the other they are apparently prone to damping. Seems you cannot win.
Also tried it with some sweet peas. The first four modules have not minded, so I will now dust more. But is it brassicas I tend to loose. Not sown any of those yet. It is frustrating to have a set of nice seedlings and then the next day devastation.
Asda out of stock of cinnamon powder. They sell it by the kilo at the asian supermarkets in Swindon, but do not want to go there at the moment. But I have some rather old sticks, so I might grind them up.
Seems turmeric works too, and I have a kg bag of that.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268326965_Antifungal_effect_of_powdered_spices_and_their_extracts_on_growth_and_activity_of_some_fungi_in_relation_to_damping-off_disease_control
Seem they did not test ginger or turmeric. And tested it on fava beans. Which is odd because for me they are not a candidate for problems.
I'm surprised about damping off of brassica seedlings as I don't recall having that happen.
Can you just keep them a bit drier?
May be boring but :
steralise pots and trays before use,(Jeyes fluid) removing crusty old soil/compost.
Use sterile compost, microwave own blends and keep your water butt clean.
Ventilate gently
Water sparingly from the bottom.
Other fungicides would include soot, sulphur and wood ash
Brassicas are the only thing that damp off for me. One day they are looking fine and the next day finished. I tend to find it happens worst if there is not much sunshine when they first put up the cotyledons, so I try and sow them a few days before a sunny few days are forecast. So I am looking forward to trying the cinnamon.
I will also try microwaving the compost before sowing.
My lobelia cardinalis are looking good. They have had a dusting of the cinnamon. They are bog plants so like it damp.
Celeriac are the worst for me... maybe we have different "strains" of grey mould? Brassicas no problem here.