Subject: Re: Dying Herbs
From: cnorman@best.com (Cyndi Norman)
Organization: None
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 98 23:24:12
Message-ID: <MOD$980725.21549@rec.gardens.ecosystems>
References: <MOD$980724.9962@rec.gardens.ecosystems>



In article <MOD$980724.9962@rec.gardens.ecosystems>, amc0941@unix.tamu.edu
wrote:

> I started planting some Thyme and Peppermint from seeds in June and
> everything seemed okay for a few weeks but then the plants started
> dying one by one. The plants never get past the first three sets of
> leaves before they keel over. I have the surviving plants (one of
> each) in their own peat pellets buried in potting soil in separate
> pots but they don't look so hot. What can I do?
I started off this season planting seeds in peat and vermiculite and then
perhaps in potting soil. All organic, but all dead. They started off
great, got wonderful root systems, and then died or stopped growing.

This is why: in the beginning, plants grow from the nutrition stored in
their seeds. Once that is depleted, they need to get it from the soil. If
the soil is dead and has no nutrition, the plants stop growing.

The solution is to plant the seedlings in compost instead. Compost is
alive and full of nutrition. I hestiated at first because I had always
learned that potted plants had to be in dead soil. But it made all the
difference. The plants grew amazingly well after being top dressed with
compost or planted in it. I haven't done much direct seeding into compost,
but that was just timing. Next year I'll use nothing but compost. Note
that plain garden soil probably won't work too well cause it's very compact
and etc.

Manure or compost tea sprayed on the seedlings or used for water
occasionally will also help. I used manure tea and it made a big
difference.

Another possibility for you is that if you let the peat dry out even once,
it can be very hard to rewet and the roots die.

Cyndi

_______________________________________________________________________________
Oakland, California Zone 9 USDA; Zone 16 Sunset Western Garden Guide
Disabled, chemically sensitive, wheelchair user Organic Gardening only
_______________________________________________________________________________
"There's nothing wrong with me. Maybe there's Cyndi Norman
something wrong with the universe." (ST:TNG) cnorman@consultclarity.com
Owner of the Immune Lists: http://www.best.com/~immune
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