Natural things to mix with water when watering seedlings!

[Bobberman]

I often wondered what would make water work better for seedlings or small plants or even the seeds alone! Sugar water salt water compost tea or what! Even a aspirin or some over the counter product to change the water to a base or a acid. Who has tried this?

[rainbowgardener]

I put a chamomile tea bag and a little bit of cinnamon in the water I use for my indoors seedlings. They are natural anti-fungals and make sure you don't get fungus gnats or damping off.

Last year was my first year of doing that. Every year previous I had trouble with fungus gnats, a bad infestation of them two years ago. Last year with the chamomile/cinnamon water, I had not one gnat and zero seedlings lost to damping off. (I'm also very careful not to over-water.)

[soil]

lots of things to add what are you trying to achieve?

[DoubleDogFarm]

I only add nutrients like compost tea, fish and kelp.

Sugar, salt, aspirin, soap, beer sounds like the stuff Jerry Baker spews out.


Eric

[rainbowgardener]

haven't started yet, but once my seedlings are a little bigger, I will add some of the "worm tea" from my worm bin!

[DoubleDogFarm]

RBG,

That sound good. Will you dilute ?


Eric

[JZydowicz]

I mix a little lemon juice in with my water. I live in an area underlain with limestone/dolomite so our tap water pH is relatively high, 7.5-8. You might want to correct your pH, if needed.

[rainbowgardener]

RBG,

That sound good. Will you dilute ?


Eric

Definitely, just add a bit to the pitcher of water I always have sitting there outgassing to use on the seedlings. I think I could use something like a turkey baster just to suck some up from the tray under the worm bin and add it to the pitcher.

[quiltbea]

I always steep a green teabag and dilute it 50% and put in a spritzer bottle to spray my new seedlings when sown.

I haven't had any damping off since I've tried this.

[Middleman777]

I put a chamomile tea bag and a little bit of cinnamon in the water I use for my indoors seedlings. They are natural anti-fungals and make sure you don't get fungus gnats or damping off.

Last year was my first year of doing that. Every year previous I had trouble with fungus gnats, a bad infestation of them two years ago. Last year with the chamomile/cinnamon water, I had not one gnat and zero seedlings lost to damping off. (I'm also very careful not to over-water.)

Could one do that with regular grown up plants too? If so, how often? Every time watering?

[GardenRN]

I did an experiment last year where I kept the seeds in little viles on top of cotton just to see this exact thing. I used compost tea, coffee, water, and about 10 other things if I remember correctly. The end result? in sterile conditions, nothing made a difference as the the germination rate. They were all about the same.

However, if there is something in your soil that is hindering germination, then an additive may help. But to make this effective for you, you'd have to isolate the culprit and find out what type of additive would neutralize it.

[ruggr10]

I add some Azomite to the water... it's been magic for me.

[dustyrivergardens]

Hey me to I love rock dust and the azomite in the water works amazing.