Damping off?

[Wulfskaar]

Hi! I'm a rookie at this and would like a little advice.

I am trying to grow some trees from seeds from a common kit. I had 3 types of trees sprout up. They seemed to be doing ok at first and then they kinda drooped over and died.

The Black Pine is now starting to do this. I have been trying not to water "too much" but it's so hard to judge. I am attaching a pic of my Black Pine. Are they dying from damping off or maybe something else???

Any advice is appreciated, especially since I'm giving it another go tonight with new seeds and soil.

Thanks!

 

[Wulfskaar]

This is the same pot from 1 week ago when it looked much healthier.

 

[Wulfskaar]

More info on the other ones...

The Bristlecone seedlings came up good, dropped their seed shells, and then the first set of "needles" started curling around until they looked like palm trees. They lasted a couple weeks before sagging and wilting.

 

[Shibui]

Hard to tell without a closer look at the base of the stems. Damping off is easy to spot. The stem close to the soil shrinks and may turn brown or black. There may be something at the base of the 2 centre seedlings but not clear enough from the angle and distance.
Damping off is an aggressive fungal infection. Less water may reduce the chances of it starting but when it has started nothing I've tried stops it except a good funguicide applied immediately. It really does spread fast and can sweep through a whole tray in 2-3 days.

Your seedlings don't really look healthy green. Where are they kept. Outside with good sun is best. Inside you will need good light. Lack of light can cause them to grow too tall and collapse.
Nutrients: What mix are they in? Have they been fed anything?
Water: Lack of water will also cause seedlings to wilt and collapse. It is a challenge to work out what is too much and what is too little, especially in smaller pots.

 

[Firstflush]

If you are worried about too much water in the soil...maybe try misting.

In the first photo, see how the soil has come away from the edge of the container? That means the soil is dry as it has shrunk and peeled of the container edge.

Also, doesn’t look like there is much in your soil make up. Is it straight coir or peat moss? Some like that stuff and have good luck with it, however, I would recommend a fast draining potting soil or seed starting mix.

 

[Wulfskaar]

Hello kind souls!

Until the last couple of days, I have kept them inside but under LED grow lights because we had a heat wave (111°!) come through. I have been using it for like 14-16 hrs per day. I have been researching but have no idea if that too much or not enough. When I finally brought them outside part time, I only allowed 30 min of direct sunlight and increase 15 min each day (per instructions on the kit).

You're right, the color of all of them didn't look healthy to me either. I don't know if this is due to the grow light/sunlight situation.

The soil is just the peat pucks that came with the kit. I have not used any fertilizer yet because the instructions said to wait until after the 2nd level of leaves grow in.

I started with just pouring the smallest amount of water you can pour, but sometimes more poured out than intended. I then started trying to use a misting spray bottle, but I felt like it wasn't enough to actually enter the soil. I guess I was afraid it would evaporate quick only misting the surface, so I went to just dripping water into the soil.

What I saw:
*Pale green in color. Kinda sickly looking.
*First "needles" that pop out of the seed shell ended up curling after a few days.
*I noticed the bottom of the stalk was somewhat brown in color.
*The seedlings felt rubbery.
*When I pulled one out, the roots were tiny and weak, like pictures of damping off I have seen.

Thank you guys very much. As I stated, I just sowed the rest of my seeds into brand new peat and biodegradable pots from a 2nd kit I have. Avoiding my previous mistakes will surely help.

 

[0soyoung]

I suggest misting with a solution of 2 tablespoons 3% hydrogen peroxide (from the grocery/pharmacy) in a quart of water, instead of just water. Peroxide is a broad spectrum fungicide - actually an antiseptic, meaning it also nixes a lot of bacteria also.

 

[papkey5]

It seems to me that they are growing too tall. Which is called having leggy seedlings. I would give them more sun and also set a box fan on low nearby. The breeze will force the seedlings to reinforce their trunks. That turns the trunks from that green to a pink or brown color.

remember to harden them off, if you are moving them to a stronger light and them being outside. Start with an hour on day one than each day extend their time outside by another hour.

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

More water!

Sorce

 

[penumbra]

They look like the are very dry and light may be insufficient. Please let us know your location. All we know is that is is hot as blazes but we don't know if its fall or spring for you.

 

[Wulfskaar]

They look like the are very dry and light may be insufficient. Please let us know your location. All we know is that is is hot as blazes but we don't know if its fall or spring for you.

I'm in Southern California, close to the coast, so weather that hot is extremely rare. It's generally much more mild with highs between 65 and 85 probably 90% of the year or more.

Not enough water???? I'm glad I came here! I will try more water and sun on the remaining seedlings and also on my next batch.

Thank you all for helping!

 

[cmeg1]

More water dryer ...open substrate........could be the fungus.......prevalent absolutely everywhere and loves anarobic(wet/no air) environment.

 

[Wulfskaar]

Are my seedlings in the first pic salvageable? I read it's nearly impossible to cure damping off unless you get it super fast, but how about dying of thirst? Can they survive or am I wasting my time on those?

 

[penumbra]

but how about dying of thirst?

I am fairly certain this is the problem. You may be able to save them with a drink of water. At least you will find out quickly if that is the problem.
Good luck. We all lose plants so this is just a learning experience.

 

[Wulfskaar]

I am fairly certain this is the problem. You may be able to save them with a drink of water. At least you will find out quickly if that is the problem.
Good luck. We all lose plants so this is just a learning experience.

Yeah, it's disappointing to lose a month, but now I'm much better equipped for my next round which was sowed last night. Thanks again!

 

[dtreesj]

I had a seedling looking like that and I thought it was damping off, but it wasn't. I still have it, it's about 6 inches tall now and is doing fine. I think some times the root grows and pushes the green part of the plant out of the soil.

 

[penumbra]

Yeah, it's disappointing to lose a month, but now I'm much better equipped for my next round which was sowed last night. Thanks again!

A month is nothing in bonsai years. If you are serious about this endeavor, be prepared to lose years.

 

[Wulfskaar]

Well hot damn!!! After a couple days of a lot more water and sun, the black pine actually look like they might make it!!!

They basically stood up from being drooped over and went from pale green to a healthier looking green.

This makes me very happy! Thank you guys!

 

[Wulfskaar]

I am fairly certain this is the problem. You may be able to save them with a drink of water. At least you will find out quickly if that is the problem.
Good luck. We all lose plants so this is just a learning experience.

Just wanted to give an update and thank all of you . The seedlings haven't grown much in the last week due to another heat wave (108, 107, and over 100 today) but they are looking good to me! I think they should grow a lot once this dang heat is gone in the next couple of weeks.

Just last night, my next batch of seedlings have just begun popping up above the soil. Now that I'm armed with greater knowledge, I think these guys may actually survive!

 

[Wulfskaar]

Hey man, how's it growin'?

Still growing strong!
They are all doing great!