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Somerset, United Kingdom Gb

All my brassica seedlings are dead/dying - Help!! I first sowed, as I have done successfully for years, in trays. Almost all germinated. I kept them indoors at first before beginning to harden off. They seemed to be coming along nicely but then, when they'd developed two of three true leaves, they began to go brown at the edges, then the seedling just curled up and died. I salvaged the few survivors and planted into a nursery bed, but they too soon succumbed. I've tried direct sowing into a nursery bed in a different part of the veg patch, but very few germinated, and those which did soon gave up the ghost. When I dig up the corpses, the roots look fine. They have a few flea beetle, but not enough to do too much damage. The dead seedlings feel crispy. I've now tried sowing in brand new trays, using only tap water, but I'm really worried I may lose all this years crops. Cabbage, sprouts, brocolli and kale are all affected. Meanwhile, leeks, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes and a range of flowers are all fine (so presumably not water/soil disease or pests?). In 40 years of veg growing I've never had this problem. Can anyone shed any light?




Answers

 

Poor Carrotless, you aren't having much luck this season!

17 Apr, 2014

 

I don't grow veg but do grow seeds, I wonder if its the variation in temperature, this morning for example is frosty and only 1c, if it stays sunny it could get to 15c, 20 or more inside then drop again tonight.
damping off could possibly be a cause too

18 Apr, 2014

 

No, there's no spraying (I'm organic), and it doesn't look like damping off, but I'm inclined to agree it may be termperature fluctuation. The trays are on staging against a south-facing wall, which may be too hot during the day followed by too cold at night. Equally, the veg patch is south-facing, too, with possibly the same result. Shall work on that theory, anyhow, and hope for the best. Meanwhile, many thanks for your comments.

18 Apr, 2014

 

Good luck

18 Apr, 2014

How do I say thanks?

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