Activated charcoal to control damping off?

clkeiper · February 10, 2013

Has anyone heard used or tried activated charcoal as a control for damping off? I just read an article that recommended it to control the dreaded disease and I have never heard, thought or seen anyone else mention it. What are your thoughts or experience with it? I will be trying it(experimenting anyway) just to see.

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/...rt-some-seeds/

Redbaron · February 10, 2013

Never used it before but it is sure something I will try. Thanks for the heads up!

barbamWY · February 10, 2013

Have not tried charcoal, but chamomile tea works.

b54red · February 11, 2013

I started using a form of DE sold at Auto Zone under the name UltraSorb to start my seedlings in and it has virtually eliminated my damping off problems.

mcsee · February 11, 2013

Ground Cinnamon works too.

peppero · February 11, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcsee

Ground Cinnamon works too.

could you provide some particulars regarding application? jon

RayR · February 11, 2013

I've never used activated charcoal, but I have used a layer of silicates like bird grit, coarse sand and coarse diatomaceous earth on top of seed starting mix as a damping off preventative.

This Preventing Damping Off article in Horticulture mentions all the typical preventatives that are accepted:

"When sowing seeds, cover them only to the depth recommended on the packet, and no deeper. Instead of covering them with your seed-starting mix, cover them instead with sphagnum moss, coarse sand or chicken grit. These materials are less likely to host fungi.

Once seedlings appear, mist them daily with weak chamomile or clove tea, and/or dust the soil surface (one time only) with ground cinnamon or powdered charcoal."

GunnarSK · February 11, 2013

If activated charcoal works, (used) coffee grounds probably also do, because it's mostly the same. I'll try it this year when sowing.

clkeiper · February 11, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by b54red

I started using a form of DE sold at Auto Zone under the name UltraSorb to start my seedlings in and it has virtually eliminated my damping off problems.

I have this. I was just wondering if anyone has used or tried charcoal.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcsee

Ground Cinnamon works too.

I have tried this without success. Maybe I didn't use the "right" amount, but I had no idea how much to use, either.

SteveS · February 11, 2013

Last year I used both cinnamon & chamomile tea & they seemed to work.

Cole_Robbie · February 11, 2013

I use a space heater in my germination chamber, and I've never had damping off. The heater makes the air too hot and dry to grow fungus, plus the seeds sprout in three days and don't have extra time in the ground to rot.

simmran1 · February 14, 2013

Some years ago, (probably 2005,06) I used chamomile tea in a spray bottle to moisten, then sowed. I'm sure I was using Jiffy Mix then - never had an instance of damp off, where before that I did. Then tried Natural Beginnings from Gardens Alive, and actually forgot the chamomile tea drench. No matter, I've never had a damping off problem with Natural Beginnings. I see it's available at other places now, though can't remember where exactly. I'm convinced the chamomile tea works to moisten before planting, but since I've seen such dramatic improvement in overall seedling health with Natural Beginnings I'm hooked. -R

dustdevil · February 15, 2013

Activated charcoal is often used for aquarium filtration. Pet shops/supply places sell it. It can be expensive!

February 10, 2013	#1
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	Activated charcoal to control damping off? Has anyone heard used or tried activated charcoal as a control for damping off? I just read an article that recommended it to control the dreaded disease and I have never heard, thought or seen anyone else mention it. What are your thoughts or experience with it? I will be trying it(experimenting anyway) just to see. http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/...rt-some-seeds/ __________________ carolyn k

February 10, 2013	#2
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	Never used it before but it is sure something I will try. Thanks for the heads up! __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture

February 14, 2013	#12
simmran1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Iowa Zone 5 Posts: 305	Some years ago, (probably 2005,06) I used chamomile tea in a spray bottle to moisten, then sowed. I'm sure I was using Jiffy Mix then - never had an instance of damp off, where before that I did. Then tried Natural Beginnings from Gardens Alive, and actually forgot the chamomile tea drench. No matter, I've never had a damping off problem with Natural Beginnings. I see it's available at other places now, though can't remember where exactly. I'm convinced the chamomile tea works to moisten before planting, but since I've seen such dramatic improvement in overall seedling health with Natural Beginnings I'm hooked. -R __________________ Tomatovillain

February 10, 2013	#3
barbamWY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: North West Wyoming Posts: 466	Have not tried charcoal, but chamomile tea works.

February 11, 2013	#4
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I started using a form of DE sold at Auto Zone under the name UltraSorb to start my seedlings in and it has virtually eliminated my damping off problems.

February 11, 2013	#5
mcsee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Victoria. Australia Posts: 543	Ground Cinnamon works too.

February 11, 2013	#7
RayR Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Cheektowaga, NY Posts: 2,465	I've never used activated charcoal, but I have used a layer of silicates like bird grit, coarse sand and coarse diatomaceous earth on top of seed starting mix as a damping off preventative. This Preventing Damping Off article in Horticulture mentions all the typical preventatives that are accepted: "When sowing seeds, cover them only to the depth recommended on the packet, and no deeper. Instead of covering them with your seed-starting mix, cover them instead with sphagnum moss, coarse sand or chicken grit. These materials are less likely to host fungi. Once seedlings appear, mist them daily with weak chamomile or clove tea, and/or dust the soil surface (one time only) with ground cinnamon or powdered charcoal."

February 11, 2013	#8
GunnarSK Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Warsaw, Poland 52° N Posts: 363	If activated charcoal works, (used) coffee grounds probably also do, because it's mostly the same. I'll try it this year when sowing.

February 11, 2013	#10
SteveS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bloomington, IN Posts: 123	Last year I used both cinnamon & chamomile tea & they seemed to work.

February 11, 2013	#11
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I use a space heater in my germination chamber, and I've never had damping off. The heater makes the air too hot and dry to grow fungus, plus the seeds sprout in three days and don't have extra time in the ground to rot.

February 15, 2013	#13
dustdevil Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: WI, USA Zone4 Posts: 1,887	Activated charcoal is often used for aquarium filtration. Pet shops/supply places sell it. It can be expensive!