Damping Off: Urgent! How to Save Your Plant
Damping off is a soil-borne fungal disease that affects seeds and young seedlings, causing rotting of stem and root tissues at and below the soil line. It is caused by several fungi including Pythium, Rhizoctonia, Fusarium, and Phytophthora. The disease thrives in cold, wet conditions with poor air circulation.
Fast
21 days
🔍 Symptoms
Main Symptoms
- ! Seedlings collapse and fall over at stem base
- ! Water-soaked, thin, thread-like stems
- ! White cobweb-like fungal growth on soil surface
- ! Gray to brown stem discoloration
- ! Soft, mushy stem tissue
- ! Rotted roots with grayish-brown sunken spots
- ! Seeds fail to germinate or emerge from soil
- ! Wilting of young leaves
Visual Signs
❓ Possible Causes
- → Soil-borne fungi: Pythium, Rhizoctonia, Fusarium, Phytophthora
- → Cold, wet soil temperatures (below 68°F/20°C)
- → Poor soil drainage
- → High humidity and poor air circulation
- → Planting seeds too deeply or too densely
- → Overwatering
- → Reusing contaminated soil or pots
- → Using untreated rainwater
- → Low light conditions
- → Over-fertilization
💊 Treatment
Quick Fixes
~11 days
Immediate Discard
Remove and discard all infected seedlings immediately. Do not attempt to save - no cure available.
Dry Environment
Stop watering. Turn on fan for maximum air circulation. Remove tray covers. Let soil surface dry completely.
Increase Temperature and Light
Raise room temperature to 70-75°F (21-24°C). Provide maximum lighting (12-16h artificial light if needed).
Cinnamon Application
Generously sprinkle cinnamon powder on soil surface of all remaining seedlings as emergency preventive measure.
Isolate Healthy Plants
Separate healthy seedlings from affected areas. Use new soil and sterilized pots for transplanting if seedlings are large enough.
Materials needed:
Organic Treatment
~21 days
Immediate Removal
Remove all infected seedlings immediately and discard them away from healthy plants. There is no cure for infected plants.
Improve Conditions
Reduce humidity by increasing air circulation with a fan. Allow soil surface to dry completely between waterings. Increase temperature and lighting.
Cinnamon Treatment
Sprinkle cinnamon powder on soil surface around healthy seedlings. Cinnamon has natural antifungal properties.
Biological Fungicide
Apply Mycostop or Actinovate to remaining seedlings following manufacturer instructions for preventive protection.
Future Prevention
Always use new sterilized potting mix, sterilize pots with 10% bleach, sow thinly, water in morning, and maintain good air circulation.
Materials needed:
Expert Treatment
~32 days
Assessment and Quarantine
Identify all infected seedlings. Remove and discard immediately. Isolate affected tray/area from other plants. Document environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, watering frequency).
Strict Environmental Control
Soil temperature: constant 70-75°F (21-24°C) with heating mat. Relative humidity: maximum 60%. Air circulation: continuous fan on low speed. Photoperiod: 14-16h light at 10,000-15,000 lux.
Professional Biological Treatment
Apply Mycostop (Streptomyces griseoviridis) as soil drench at recommended concentration. Follow with Actinovate (Streptomyces lydicus) applied 48h later. Both create protective microbial barrier.
Precise Irrigation Management
Implement bottom watering system with fixed schedule only in morning. Monitor pot weights. Maintain soil moisture at 60-70% field capacity. Use warm (68-72°F/20-22°C) dechlorinated water.
Complete Sanitation
Sterilize all pots, trays, and tools in 10% sodium hypochlorite solution for 30 minutes. Clean work surfaces with quaternary ammonium. Replace 100% of potting mix with commercial sterilized mix.
Reseeding Protocol
Wait 7 days after sanitation. Use fresh seeds treated with Mycostop. Sow 50% thinner than normal. Cover soil surface lightly with sterilized vermiculite. Maintain temperature at 73°F (23°C).
Monitoring and Adjustments
Daily inspection of all seedlings. Record temperature, humidity, and growth. Adjust ventilation as needed. Remove any suspicious seedlings immediately. Continue preventive regime for 21 days after last infection.
Step by Step
- 1
Remove all infected seedlings immediately and discard them
- 2
Do not attempt to save infected plants - there is no cure
- 3
Reduce humidity and improve air circulation
- 4
Allow soil surface to dry between waterings
- 5
Increase soil temperature if possible
- 6
Increase lighting
- 7
Apply biological fungicide to remaining healthy seedlings
- 8
Do not reuse contaminated potting mix
- 9
Sterilize all pots and tools before reuse
- 10
Start fresh with new seeds and sterilized potting mix
🧪 Solutions
🌱 Natural Solutions
- ✓ Biological fungicide Mycostop (seed treatment)
- ✓ Actinovate (contains beneficial soil bacteria)
- ✓ Organocide Plant Doctor (systemic fungicide)
- ✓ Cinnamon powder sprinkled on soil surface (natural antifungal properties)
- ✓ Chamomile tea used as soil drench
- ✓ Remove infected seedlings immediately to prevent spread
💉 Chemical Solutions
- ✓ No chemical fungicides available for home gardeners
- ✓ Prevention is the only effective strategy
- ✓ Commercial fungicides containing metalaxyl or mefenoxam (professional use only)
🛡️ Prevention
- ✓ Use sterilized commercial potting mix, never reuse soil
- ✓ Sterilize used pots and trays with 10% bleach solution for 30 minutes
- ✓ Sow seeds thinly to prevent overcrowding
- ✓ Maintain soil temperature between 70-75°F (21-24°C) using heating mats
- ✓ Provide 12-16 hours of light daily
- ✓ Use pots with drainage holes
- ✓ Water only in the morning so soil dries by evening
- ✓ Avoid overwatering - keep soil moist but not waterlogged
- ✓ Use warm water (68-77°F/20-25°C) for watering
- ✓ Ensure good air circulation with fans or by cracking lids
- ✓ Do not plant seeds too deeply
- ✓ Wait until true leaves develop before fertilizing
- ✓ Keep hoses off the floor to prevent contamination
