This seems like a problem only beginners but i have been growing very successfully for almost a decade untill recently. Never encountered this problem untill the end of last summer when central air broke and got hit with a heat wave couple weeks later. It's obviously indoor grow and heat stress took my last grow away as i wasn't able to manage it with both things happening. I have had almost perfect success with 100s of seeds untill starting back up awhile after that. Clones as well was almost perfect. Everything disinfected, new seeds, strains, breeders, pots, different soils but the last 4 times i began germinating seeds it has been hit with root rot or dampening off. Never had that problem let alone to this extreme where i can't even grow anything. Some seeds didn't seem to be good and were immature/small. It is not a perfectly clean enviroment as it's in the basement but managed with air filters and dehumidifiers.m Had no problem AT ALL prior to this. I must be missing something as i have tried eveything and there is NO REASON as an expierenced grower that it is something i am doing wrong as opposed to maybe the enviroment, lights or possibly water supply? I've used every remedy i can buy or think of so this problem isn't for lack of trying. I am reaching out hoping some fellow growers can that point out or enlighten me to what the problem can be besides tempertature and soil moisture as those are where they should be. I am an expierenced and good grower so this just shouldnt be happening. There must be an unseen problem in enviroment, water supply or other issue possibly even grower error but very unlikely. I only took a year off but haven't gotten it all up and running or dialed back in. Please help me get back in the game as i miss my hobby.
Need more info...HOW are you germinating? new soil....what is it? So you don't PH your water....and you don't know what the PH is??
Here ya go this will help you/us When posting your sick plants questions Not a soil grower my self, So I can't help very much. A decade of growing is pretty impressive! lets see some pics of the set up? your old plants/setup? if your cool with that. good luck
Sterilize the soil. Oven baked, Microwaved, Peroxide, Bleach, Baking soda, PH up or down. Any of them will change the conditions that are favorable to your soil pathogens. My city water is 8.5 PH and smells slightly of chlorine right from the tap and I rarely have dampening issues. When I did have dampening we used 10% bleach in water surface spray and planted the same day. Outside grow with Organic soil I built years ago. BNW
Oh wow....I would think that would for sure cause some issues............really at any stage of it's growth....good to know
Living in the very hot very dry desert southwest USA I use a lot of water and need to use it as fast as it comes from the hose. The weed gets watered along with the roses and the food garden so it just is. To make up for all that high PH water I run an acidic soil with Sulfur dust added twice a year. Keeps things in range and I've been running this way for years now. BNW
That much clorine should prevent pathogens i assume? Causing grow issues sure but not root dampening.
Inorganic, organics, peat pellets, seedling starter mix with different adjustments to soil mix. Light, good draining, no nutes, light nutes, heavy nutes, different additives. Ph around 6.4. Things always grew fantastically but some strains loved it more than others. Ran mostly clones besides when getting different strains but always keeping adjustments to a minimum. Every strain likes it alittle different some did better than others but even the worse was still always good shit with decent yields. I wondered if not water supply per se was the problem but water faucet or hose being the problem. Or it being a problem within the enviroment itself. I think i will rebuild grow room and tents to eliminate all outside infuences with a sterile enviroment. Use water from a totally different source. Sterilize soil for longer or higher temps. Surface bleach everything in the room? I have a feeling there is a major source of pathogens i'm not seeing. Like mold and mildew that air filters can't keep up with. It is such a drastic change from no issues to not allowing me to grow when everything else remains the same.
No. Sorry. I germinated them in paper towel inside zip lock bag waiting untill they all pop out. Than into the medium. Different kinds of mediums with my usual inorganic ammendments.
I germ all my seeds directly in the medium, that wouldn't cause his issue. Cups of water and moist napkins are 100% unnecessary.
I use 1/1 distilled water and 3% hydrogen peroxide to sterilize my soil, though it does tend to sterilize the good bacteria and fungi in the soil too. :/
I believe that only mattered if you were growing organically as chemical nutrients are suppose to kill all bacteria anyways. There are arguements to be had on either side so i'm not sure what the truth actually is. I've used straight 3% peroxide hoping that would prevent or solve my issue with no luck.
Building a clean room within the room hoping to eradicate any outside influences but does anyone have any other preventative measures or ways they deal with it as seedlings? Would spraying top of the soil with 10-1 bleach mix help preventing it and would it harm seedlings?
In that case, OP I think the soil itself is the problem no amount of sanitation is gonna help and you should dispose of it. Here is a useful article. How to prevent seedling damping off | UMN Extension You can always try starting your seedlings in solo cups or something and transferring them when they are more resistant if you don’t want to toss the soil.
I almost always used solo cups to start seedlings or rooted clones. I have used brand new soil in every case. I am going to go with the assumption it's my actual growing enviroment because nothing else has worked and this came hardcore and out of nowhere. It must be the root cause. No pun intended.
