Damping Off and Chamomile Tea

German Chamomile

I spent part of yesterday afternoon brewing chamomile tea.  I occasionally actually drink the stuff, but what I brewed yesterday will get fed to the seedlings growing on my greenhouse shelves.  My seedlings all look nice and healthy and I want them to stay that way.  There is nothing more discouraging than going out one morning and seeing some of my beautiful little seedlings, collapsed and lying on their death beds. 

Damping off is a fungal disease that strikes seedlings.  They appear perfectly healthy and then all of a sudden, the base of the stem shrivels, and the seedling collapses and dies.  Damping off is especially prevalent if the air around the seedlings is too calm, or if the soil is kept too moist.

Prevention is the only way to save your seedlings - once damping off is evident, it is too late.  Starting with sterile seed starting medium and clean pots is essential.  Placing an oscillating fan in the area where the seeds are kept will help maintain adequate airflow.  One organic prevention is a mixture of one tablespoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide per quart of water, lightly misted on the seedlings every other day.  My favorite, though, is, chamomile tea.

Brew tea using one tea bag (any kind will do), or the equivalent amount of crushed chamomile flowers if you grow your own, to two cups of water.  I usually brew enough at one time to last me about a week.  That is about the longest time I keep the tea around to assure that it doesn't lose its anti-fungal properties and actually start harboring fungus itself.

The initial dosing, I dilute the chamomile tea to about half strength and water my seedlings with that mixture.  After that, I use the full strength chamomile in a spray bottle and mist the seedlings every other day or so. 

Chamomile tea isn't 100% effective against damping off, but it definitely helps keep it at bay but it is probably as effective as chemical fungicides, and a whole lot safer and cheaper.