Hello! No comment on this weather! Who knew that we would have all that white stuff and this nice weather, not only in the same month, but also in the same week!

Suffice it to say - the color white has been phased out and green is up and coming! Those buds have been swelling, and it won’t be long now!

At any rate, for the past few weeks now, we have been talking seeds and seed starting. I think that we mentioned that some people spray- mist the tops of those newly seeded planting flats or cells. Well Jerry Baker, the king of queer and quirky growing tonics, recommends a weak tea solution to moisten the surfaces of those newly seeded pots and trays.

And by weak tea solution we’re talking about a used tea bag steeped in about 1 quart of water. Now to this weak tea solution we add 2 drops of liquid dish soap, 2 drops of ammonia, and 1 drop of whiskey. Shake this concoction gently, then spray mist the surface of the newly planted seed containers. Then cover up those seed containers. For this you can use plastic or burlap or cheesecloth or even a damp towel. Just make sure that these coverings are not resting on the soil surface. And be sure to leave an opening for some sort of air circulation.

Those newly seeded containers should go in a warm spot. Warm – as in not below 65 degrees. So, if your house is cool, consider placing a heating pad under the planting flat. Some professionals use special heating cables or mats. Some people use light bulbs for consistent heat. Some put their planting trays on top of the refrigerator. Others use an electric heater to keep things warm.

Whatever you decide to use – just keep them warm; keep them moist! These are really all the basic creature comforts those seeding flats or trays need for germination.

However – oddly enough – those very same ideal seed starting and growing conditions are the very same ones that can kill those tender seedlings! One day all those little itty-bitty seedlings are seemingly healthy and happy. The next day they are flopping over left and right – dead and dying!

How horrible! How awful! Whatever happened? Damping-off disease!!! This dying off disease is actually caused by several different kinds of soil fungi that start growing because of all the warmth and the moisture. These fungi are 99 and 44/100% fatal. Yup – fatal fungi!

One day you see a section of those seedlings starting to flop over…Frantically you scoop out all those dead and dying babies and the surrounding siblings, hoping to save the rest! Bango – the rest are down and dying within a matter of hours. Going…going….gone!

All that work to get all those tiny seeds planted and started indoors. And just when they’ve come up and have started to take off, damping-off disease zaps them. It’s so very unfair!

Well that damping off disease – that dying off disease - is really the end result of several different kinds of soil fungi. And some of these heartless, horrible, fiendish fungi can cause newly germinating seeds to die, sometimes before they’ve even had a chance to emerge through the soil!

Keep in mind, there are several things that can encourage the development of this damping off. Those cruel culprits are dirty pots, non-sterile soil, too much moisture, stagnant air, and even dirty hands! What to do??

Prevention! Elementary, my dear Watson! Keep those damping off fungi from ever getting started. Take the fun out of this fungi! Keep everything clean and sterile.

• Always use commercial soil-less starting mix.

• Always sterilize all tools and pots and trays in a strong 10% (or even 20%) bleach solution.

• Always work with clean hands.

• Always cover newly planted seeds with sterile spaghnum peat moss or vermiculite.

• Always bottom water to keep those seedling babies nice and dry. But if you do water from the top, do it early enough in the day so those plant babies have a chance to dry by night time. And don’t over-water!

• Always provide good air circulation. Use a small fan if you have to. No fan? Then talk to those plants! That should provide some good oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange and some good air circulation to boot! Just keep that conversation lively and stimulating!

Remember – Eat Smart New York!

And – bye – talk to you soon!

D