I just went out to my greenhouse which is a small openable one and all off my peat pellets had gray hairs growing in them! This happens every time a I had a plant in there that I have no more seeds for it! It has been raining for three days. Can you help me? I can't make a fungicide nor do I have one or can buy one. Is there a way to get rid of it? It's raining but I took the trays out and put them under cover on a deck. Will that help? Please help me!
Mix one teaspoon of baking soda with one cup of water, shake well, put in a mist sprayer and spray your plants. This will prevent/take care of dampening off if it isn't too advanced. You can make a fungicide with simple every-day things from the kitchen. Next time, may I suggest that you use sterile potting mix, rather than the peat pots. I've been gardening for many years, and have never had any luck with peat pots.
Thanks! I really hope that it works. To start plants is it good to use potting soil and those decomposable pots?
Many folks use potting soil, but I prefer sterile starting mix. It's sterile (duh!) and very fine, so the seeds and seedling roots don't have to fight larger bits like you find in potting soil. I don't use decomposable containers, but the six and nine-cell containers like you buy starts in. I find the plastic holds in moisture better, and being deeper, encourage deep rooting. Also I found a bunch of them in back of a nursery and asked if I could buy them--was given them for free. They can be washed and re-used. Some of mine are on their fourth or fifth year.
Thanks! I talked to someone at a gardening center and I bought 2 72 cell trays and a brick of coconut coir fiber which is sterile and supposed to expand. For my fungus problem I also bought a 3 way protectant insecticide/fungicide/miticide.
For everyone reusing those cell pacs, DON'T FORGET to sterilize them and the flats with a 10% bleach solution. Sometimes you can introduce some very nasty organisms to your newly planted seeds.
