Seedling keeled over without a reason!

[Lancaster8]

I've been growing long enough to know how to germinate seeds and deal with seedlings.  It is all very routine.  I've just had the weirdest situation occur.  I just planted an auto seed, which is the first auto I have germinated for a very long time.  It came up in the usual time frame, and was perfectly healthy.  It was starting to stretch a little, so I planted it fairly deeply in a pot containing coco at the top.  It had been germinated in a Root Riot cube and  I never disturbed it any way.  It was all very routine stuff. I planted it deeply to ensure the stem was well supported, as it had been a bit stretched. It was under a 125 CFL and was doing fine for the next 24 hours.  Then, very unexpectedly, the stem gave way and the seedling was laying horizontally.  I have never seen such an issue before.  It was the kind of scenario that you would see if a plant had stem rot - or if a bug had chewed through it. 

 

However, this seedling had been perfectly healthy.  There are no bugs in this tiny tent, and it remains a complete mystery as to why this has happened.  I haven't photographed it, as I have immersed it once again in the substrate so now it is even deeper, in the hopes that it might recover.  The baby leaves at the top remain perfectly healthy, and now they are facing up again towards the light, I am hoping that it may somehow survive although I am pessimistic about its chances.

 

I am totally mystified why this has happened.  It just doesn't make any sense at all.  

[Lancaster8]

I think I may have just found the answer to my own question.  The Coco had been open before using and I have just found a wood louse running about on the surface of the pot.  Perhaps he is the culprit and has eaten through the stem?  He has just been given a swimming lesson down the sink. I had thought the Coco had been bug-free but clearly not so.  We have to be so careful about introducing insects into growing areas.  I had thought woodlice were only interested in decaying matter rather than live plants - but who knows? 

[buddy13]

10 hours ago, Lancaster8 said:

I had thought woodlice were only interested in decaying matter rather than live plants

 

generally true unless there's nothing else to eat plus I think they like to eat the seeds too

[blackpoolbouncer]

Sounds like damping off

[Lancaster8]

36 minutes ago, blackpoolbouncer said:

Sounds like damping off

 

Not sure what you mean by this mate!

[blackpoolbouncer]

44 minutes ago, Lancaster8 said:

 

Not sure what you mean by this mate!

It is where a soil borne fungal disease causes the plant to do exactly as you describe. Usually caused by cold or damp conditions. Plants rarely survive.

 

[Shumroom]

I've been reading lots of reports from people on here saying that the rootit or root riots hold too much water too easily,

I would reserve them for cuttings and germinate in expandable pellets,

either peat or coco ones as required. My 2p

 

Atb with the rest of your growing 

 

 

[Lancaster8]

I do usually use Root Riot cubes for germination, but normally I surgically remove the seedling and remove it from the cube.  The reason why I do this normally is because when the cube is buried beneath the surface, the cube can have the ability to dry out - and you cannot see it, because it is beneath the surface.  In this instance, I didn't disturb the seedling - but normally I do.  I have a few RR cubes still to use up, and then I will probably move on to rockwool as these don't have the same ability for drying out. 

[blackpoolbouncer]

9 minutes ago, Shumroom said:

I've been reading lots of reports from people on here saying that the rootit or root riots hold too much water too easily,

I would reserve them for cuttings and germinate in expandable pellets,

either peat or coco ones as required. My 2p

 

Atb with the rest of your growing 

 

 

I use them mate. I personally think they are awesome for seeds.

I've got it down to a fine art. 3 Or 4 squirts with a squishy bottle on mist adds just the right amount of moisture.

 

I actually use them for this exact reason. To avoid damping off. 

[Shumroom]

Great to hear @blackpoolbouncer

 

I've got a tray and a bag of them,

i just haven't tried them yet.