Veseys

Gardeners’ Forum: “How to prevent Dampening Off?”

• How to prevent Dampening Off?

  Posted by Dawn on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 12:00 am AST

  Is there a 'natural' remedy to avoid dampening off? I heard that if a person uses a sprinkle of cinnamon, it is supposed to help.

  • re: How to prevent Dampening Off?

    Posted by Patricia on Monday, February 19, 2001 12:00 am AST

    I heard the same thing about sprinkling cinnamon to prevent dampening off. My home smelled nice, but my poor plants still died. Over the weekend, I was told the following: Have the soil level with the pot brim, thus allowing air flow. Also, water from the bottom, not from the top as this is a breeding area for mold. I will be starting seeds again and hopefully, it will be better this time. I will have my starters sitting in a dish and water them from below the soil surface. Wish me luck and hopefully luck to you.

  • re: How to prevent Dampening Off?

    Posted by carol on Thursday, March 22, 2001 5:13 pm AST

    You can also try setting up a fan to blow air gently across the plants. In previous years I had damping off problems but this year is the first time I tried the fan and So far all my seedlings are healthy, and no cinnamon or chemical additives were used. Also make sure that your seed-starting mixture is sterile and that you sterilize you pots before planting. Good luck.

  • re: How to prevent Dampening Off?

    Posted by terri on Wednesday, May 16, 2001 10:07 pm ADT

    I have always used seedlings purchased at a green house. This year I am planting seeds for the first time. What is dampening off?

  • re: How to prevent Dampening Off?

    Posted by W. Martin on Monday, May 28, 2001 2:24 pm ADT

    In my experience, the trick to avoiding this particular problem is to adjust your watering habits. Daily during the first two weeks, then water every second or third day after the mature leaves arrive. By the fifth week you'll need to increase your watering again simply because the larger plant will require more water.

  • re: How to prevent Dampening Off?

    Posted by Ruth on Thursday, July 19, 2001 2:45 pm ADT

    I tried steeping onion skins for about 15 minutes in boiling water, then let cool and sit overnight. I used about 1 cup skins to 1 ltr of water and then only used about 1/4 cup of onion tea to 1 ltr water when watering...it worked! I don't remember where I read it, and I didn't have a recipe, that's just the measurements I used. You may find something about it online. Too late for this year, but good luck next year. Nice natural solution!