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Vermiculite
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Posted by
ms_minnamouse 7a (
My Page) on
Tue, Apr 7, 09 at 18:12
| Has anybody ever heard of getting damping off when using vermiculite as a seed sowing medium? I thought it was supposed to be sterile... |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Vermiculite
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| it IS steril when you started. as are may seed starting mixes. The problem is that the fungi is air born. may be on your hands & most of all love a damp enclosed area (no air circulation)..... |
RE: Vermiculite
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| It must be rampant in the air because I can't avoid it no matter how careful I am, which explains why I can't get any small seed to grow unless I use chemicals... |
RE: Vermiculite
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| It can only grow in an environment that is kept very warm and wet. The slightest drying out kills it. Most all of us way over-water. We don't think we do, but we do. And it is a hard habit to break. But if you can force yourself to cut back on the watering and reduce the air temps and improve the air circulation around the plants with fans, it will disappear. Honest. Dave |
RE: Vermiculite
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| I've done it. I've tried everything. I kept things so dry to the point where they've dessicated. That's not it. |
RE: Vermiculite
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- Posted by dicot Los Angeles (My Page) on
Fri, Apr 10, 09 at 2:12
| Try spraying or soaking the vermiculite with peroxide if you think it's carrying spores. |
RE: Vermiculite
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| Have you tried germinating seed in standard plastic petri dishes on vermiculite? For many small seeds this works well,and takes up very little space in a propagator. Fill the dish with water then drain it off the vermiculite so not too wet. Then prick on as soon as possible after germination into ordinary compost. I use the tip of a small electrical screwdriver. Also had success with small shallow round yoghurt pots full of vermiculite on to which the lid of a petri dish is placed. (Gives more depth). Use sterile water or water with a tiny dash of copper fungicide as additional way of preventing damping off. |
RE: Vermiculite
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| I would never try to grow seed in straight vermiculite - too hard to control the moisture. What exactly are you trying to grow? |
RE: Vermiculite
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| "Try spraying or soaking the vermiculite with peroxide if you think it's carrying spores." I've tried. "Have you tried germinating seed in standard plastic petri dishes on vermiculite?" No, but I just got that idea a couple of weeks ago! I ordered some recently, I'm waiting for them to come. I was thinking about buying some Copper oxychloride. I read good stuff about it and damping off. I'm also looking into a product called Fosphite. "What exactly are you trying to grow?" Anything and every thing. I've tried all mediums. I had great success with vermiculite a couple of years ago with Hydroguard... Which has since been pulled off the market... |
RE: Vermiculite
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| Are you possibly on a well, using well water to water with? If so try using jugged water. Given all you have tried with no luck then there must be a common source of contamination and it seems the water or the air in the room are the only sources left unexplored. Changed the furnace filter? I know it sounds weird but the fungus has to be coming from somewhere. Dave |
RE: Vermiculite
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| I always spray the soil surface with "No-Damp," and don't have any damping off problems. I don't know what is in it, or if it considered organic, but it works. Paully |
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