Overwatering Question

[flashlight]

Hey,

So I started my seedlings in doors on June 5th in the jiffy boxes (the container with 50 little cells and you cover them with plastic hood.)

So several of my seeds have sprouted, but after they sprouted they look like they wilt and they fall down. It is as if they lost all support in the stems.

I water the plants by getting a spray bottle and lightly spraying the soil. I do this around 3 times a day.

Do you think I am watering them too much? Could this be dampening off disease? Is there a way to save the small plants and get them stronger?

Any help would be greatly helpful,

oh and I am planting lemongrass and various herbs.

[rainbowgardener]

It's hard to tell from the picture if you have damping off. If they get a little bit pinched in just above the soil level and fall over, that is damping off. You can prevent damping off, but not cure it. If they have fallen over from damping off, they are goners and you would need to start over.

It's hard to know if you are watering yours too little or too much. Spraying is not a good way to water. It is very hard to know that way if all the soil is moistened or not.

And personally, I hate those peat pots. They soak up water, which means they are taking it away from your plants and soil and then they hold it too long and get moldy and keep everything too wet.

Since you aren't very far along anyway, I would start over. Check out the seed starting basics thread here:https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 48&t=44183

Get yourself some nice plastic cells/ pots (you can re-use them for years). You don't need a hood/cover, but if you use one, be sure and remove it as soon as the seeds are sprouting.

[thesnapman44]

I have a thread which asked almost the same question. My yellow pear tomato plant was doing very well, under the same conditions as you grew yours, then, when it was about an inch high, it started drooping. "rainbowgardener", who answered your question, informed me it was due to "humidity", and "damping off". I learned my lesson, so now I have 3 types of tomatoes planted the same way, but this time as soon as the seeds start sprouting, I will be taking off the plastic cover.