the key to preventing the dreaded damping off is
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air circulation
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good air circulation
especially with
seedlings, there isn't a lot of air flowing between the
seedlings and humidity is often quite high (especially if you start in one of those small
green houses). If you start with a covered container, you need to remove the lid as soon as the first sprouts appear. You should have at least one hole if you are starting in a
greenhouse/putting pot in baggie to speed up germination...or better yet - every now and then take off the lid for a few seconds. Leaving the lid propped open at night is also a good idea. Some gardeners I know run a fan on low to blow at the
seedlings. This allows lots of air circulation and also strengthens the
seedlings. Nurseries use fans too :) I have a ceiling fan that I set to the lowest setting (it's off when I go to bed).
Also, try to keep the base of the
seedling on the dry side. Some people (like myself) add a small layer of vermiculite on top of the soil...grit or perlite. I personally use vermiculite to cover my
seeds instead of using soil/potting medium.
I find that some nightshade leaves are furry or have a little fuzz on them. They do hold water. Also watering in the morning/early afternoon so any water can dry off. This goes for any plant as well.
Yes, start some new
seeds. Make sure you DO NOT reuse the pot/container nor soil. If you must reuse any 'tools' that you use with the dampened off
seedlings, you will have to throughly sterilize everything. Damping off spores will stay in the tiniest speck of contaminated dirt and can 'sprout' for lack of a better word, into another 'attack' on your
seedlings.