Best way to avoid damping off(spraying seedlings with alcohol water or spraying with bleach water? dosages?)

[IngFarmer]

So the regulars here may have noticed i've asked lately lots of question on how to fight moulds and fungus etc.. is the major problem I face during this warm period so bare with me. Apart from making new clones am about to start a group of new strains from seeds and usually the problem i always have is damping off!!! so I love keeping mothers!
Ok so I know the ritual, brand new coco from the box, everything has to be soaked in bleach, the box well cleaned and sprayed with bleach and all!!! BUT STILL SOMETIMES IT STILL HAPPENS..so i used lot of perlite and make sure not to over water...
ok so i guess i've covered the basics...
but i'm thinking of why not spraying them every day with alcohol water or bleach water, but in what concentrations can one advice, drop of alcohol/bleach per liter of water? one time I got over zealous with the bleach and some plants got burnt!!! although they seem to handle the alcohol better.
but anyone with real experience to give a correct dosage? thanks

 

[Vandenberg]

1st, don't do that.
2nd Phytotoxicity is the word of the day.
Phytotoxicity describes any adverse effects on plant growth, physiology, or metabolism caused by a chemical substance, such as high levels of fertilizers, herbicides, heavy metals, or nanoparticles.

Their are many organic nontoxic effective approaches than what you are considering. I'll check back when I'm not running out the door and advise if others haven't chimed in with viable suggestions.

Vandenberg

 

[GoatCheese]

Can’t advice you with any chemical sprays cause i don’t use any but here are few tips for seed germination and rooting cuttings.

But first.. When the room temp in my apartment is over 27 C during hot summer days, i’m sure the temp in my veg cab gets to around/past 30c and i don’t need to spray anything on my cuttings. I just make sure they get plenty of fresh air every day, as much as they can take without wilting.
..but i live in N Europe and we don’t have a lot of the nasty stuff in the air that people in more southern parts of USA etc have.

:::

If your seeds are damping off you’re keeping them in too wet medium.

...it’s the same with cuttings. Too moist medium will make them rot away.


For seed germination:

Use smaller starter pots – like 2dl pots - and only fill them about half way at first, so that the soil dries a bit faster preventing the seedlings damping off. When you’re moistening the coco use a sprayer, don’t pour water on it. With a sprayer it’s easier to control the amount of water you’re putting into the medium. Also spray more on the sides not so much straight on where the seedling is growing.

Even thou you’re a coco grower you can germinate seeds in small amount of potting soil, which i find to be easier medium to germinate seeds in than coco, cause it holds moisture abit better and so you don’t have to be watering it as often – For me it’s easier to control the moisture level in small amount of soil than in coco for seedlings but i’m not very experienced coco grower.


Here’s how i start seeds in a 2dl cup with potting soil. I fill it about half way with potting soil (with some perlite or what ever in it for aeration) which i moisten abit with a sprayer – when the seeds have germinated and the seedlings have grown and stretched for 5-7 days i’ll fill the rest of the cup with soil. This way the soil gives support for the stretched stalk of the seedling and they wont start falling on their sides so easily.

I’m sure you can use the same method with coco

For cuttings:

As i mentioned in your other thread, i use Jiffy pucks to root cuttings in and when i place my cuttings in the Jiffies i soak the pucks pretty much dripping wet and then leave them for 5-7 days before i moisten them the next time – i allow them to dry up a bit before i moisten them again but not too much of course. If the conditions are right the fastest cuttings will root before i have re-moistened the Jiffies the first time – in a week or so.

Years ago when i started using Jiffy (peat) or coco pucks, if i moistened them too early and too often my cuttings started damping off.

Same as with my seed germination method, have you tried using smaller cups/amount of coco to root the cuttings in? This way you might not overwater them so easily cause the smaller amount of coco would dry out abit faster – and use a sprayer to moisten the coco again for easier control, don’t pour water in it.

 

[troutman]

Reducing humidity and increasing air circulation are the best ways to avoid this.

 

[StickyBandit]

I mentioned it in your other thread but have you considered it? https://biostart.co.nz/product/triplex/
It feeds on molds and fungus veraciously and is pretty much harmless to everything else
Nature at it's best!
It recovered one of my plants in DWC overnight that was dead otherwise from root rot!
Have a read of that web page. It is exactly what you need if you plan on spraying to stop the rot!!
5 drops in a 20L of water so it will last for years if kept cool

 

[Three Berries]

I had some mold on some seedlings once and wiped them down gently with a 3% H2O2 solution. One time is all it took.

 

[Rurumo]

I use Southern Ag Garden Friendly Fungicide from day 1 with seeds and cuttings and never have any fungal issues, it's great for any IPM routine.

 

[mean mr.mustard]

I've used sulphur but not bleach.

 

[StickyBandit]

I use Southern Ag Garden Friendly Fungicide from day 1 with seeds and cuttings and never have any fungal issues, it's great for any IPM routine.

Anything with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens is great stuff!
People need to catch on

 

[LordOfTheNugZ7]

Rinse the seeds in H2O2 first before soaking.