zinnia seedlings collapsing and dying
alexthomson
my zinnia seedlings are dying, i have used copper powder to stop damping
off and had them in the propogator, to bring them on initially. Now i have
brought them out of the propagator, and every day there are more dead.
What am i doing wrong ?
PS its not just zinnia thats affected other seedlings are dying too.
would it be too cold to put them in the greenhouse just now. I have the
greenhouse insulated with bubble wrap and heated with an electric heater, to
keep the temp at 5 degrees c.
thanks
Bev
Rod
alexthomson <alext...@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:jUuh6.8669$BQ3.1...@news6-win.server.ntlworld.com...
Clean new seed or multipurpose compost?
Clean tray/pots?
If yes to the above then look at too hot? or too wet?
5 C is probably too low for Zinnias but I don't have much experience with them.
A general point about sowing seeds of bedding and other half hardy stuff.
A very common mistake is to sow too soon, I know we all get restless about now but there's
plenty of time. Sow too soon and your plants are getting too big and overcrowded before
it's fit to move them on to colder conditions.
Timing of the weaning process is an art but in general small seedlings take less harm from
a sharp drop in temperature than do leggy lush seedlings a few weeks old.
Rod
Nick Maclaren
Rod <rodcr...@lineone.net> wrote:
>
>alexthomson <alext...@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
>news:jUuh6.8669$BQ3.1...@news6-win.server.ntlworld.com...
>> Help please
>> my zinnia seedlings are dying, i have used copper powder to stop damping
>> off and had them in the propogator, to bring them on initially. Now i have
>> brought them out of the propagator, and every day there are more dead.
>>
>> would it be too cold to put them in the greenhouse just now. I have the
>> greenhouse insulated with bubble wrap and heated with an electric heater, to
>> keep the temp at 5 degrees c.
>
>Clean tray/pots?
>
>If yes to the above then look at too hot? or too wet?
>5 C is probably too low for Zinnias but I don't have much experience with them.
It is years since I have, but my guess is that your following point
(and possible excess damp) is the reason.
>A general point about sowing seeds of bedding and other half hardy stuff.
>A very common mistake is to sow too soon, I know we all get restless about now but there's
>plenty of time. Sow too soon and your plants are getting too big and overcrowded before
>it's fit to move them on to colder conditions.
>Timing of the weaning process is an art but in general small seedlings take less harm from
>a sharp drop in temperature than do leggy lush seedlings a few weeks old.
Remember also that zinnias thrive in dry climates, and thus are likely
to hate being both cold and wet. They can certainly take temperatures
of well below 5 Celcius at night, at least when moderately established,
but may well have more difficulty with short, cool days. In Africa,
they were the plants that you got children to grow because they were
completely failure proof - but that was there, and this is here.
My guess is that February is FAR too early to start zinnias, even
under glass, unless you are prepared also to provide artificial light.
But I have never grown them in the UK.
Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QG, England.
Email: nm...@cam.ac.uk
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679
Chris Cangialosi
You do not give the symptoms of your dying seedlings.
i.e.. stems turning brown/shrivelling at soil level or wilting and
shrivelling or dying suddenly.
Without symptoms and where and what the conditions are you are growing them
on in it is difficult to say what the problem could be.
However best results for sowing zinnia:
Sow Mar - Apr @ 18 - 21 deg C best results in thermostatically controlled
heated propagator.
Germination is usually rapid, within 7 days.
Transplant when large enough to handle normally within 7 days into modular
seed rays for ease and best results.
Alternatively sow outdoors May in milder areas.
Charles (pffl)
"alexthomson" <alext...@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
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M.Haverkamp
news:jUuh6.8669$BQ3.1...@news6-win.server.ntlworld.com...
I know this problem about collapsing seedlings, not only zinnia... It has
something to do with a fungus...
My new seedlings have just popped from the soil, and I just got an idea from
an american gardening list: if you water them (not too much!!!), use
chamomilae tea!
I'll get some tea tomorrow and try it...
Marijke