chinese elm seedlings

metree7

Hello everyone,
I am new to this site and this is my first thread. I have been in the process of growing chinese elms from seeds. I planted several seeds and many have started germinating, but at slightly different rates. I have noticed that some may have that fungus that makes the stem thin and weak and the new seedling eventually dies. My question is: because they have been germinating at different rates, some of the seeds are just now breaking out of the seed pods, is it too late to spray the remaining seeds with fungicide so they wont develop the fungus, or are all the seedlings doomed to have the fungus. And if it is not too late, can I spray the seeds and the soil with any type of fungicide, that you would use for fungus, such as black spot? I hope all of this makes sense.

Bowani Siam

Hi!

Your seedlings are most probably succumbing to a condition called 'Damping Off'. It could be caused by a number of fungal pathogens, and it is difficult to cure unless you can accurately diagnose the fungus.

Good hygiene and environmental practices are the best way to prevent Damping Off. Things to AVOID when germinating seeds are:

1. Over-watering
2. Contaminated germination medium
3. Inadequate spacing
4. Lack of air-circulation
5. Unsterlised equipment

Chinese Elm is quite dry tolerant, even at seedling stage. Try to water from underneath, rather than wet the foliage. Heating the trays from below is a good way to encourage even germination rates. A good, well-drained propagation mix is essential.

Unfortunately, the fungicide that you have that controls Black Spot will not work on soil-borne fungi.

If you have seeds that are just in the process of germinating, remove them from the infected seed tray and replant in a new container with sterilised growing medium. You can try drenching any ungerminated seeds with a weak Chamomile Tea solution, and spray any germinated seeds with the same solution. I use this when propagating from seed and it works! It is a cheap and effective way to control fungal growth, has no negative effect on the seedlings, and will eliminate the need to use a chemical fungicide.

UCONN IPM