What is Damping Off? – The term is a name given by gardeners to
describe the wilting and death of seedlings just before or just
after they emerge from the soil. When, instead of the uniform
rows of seedlings one expects in a flat or seed bed, one
discovers rows thinned out and broken by many bare spots; or
when many of a good stand of seedlings suddenly collapse or fall
over on the ground and die it is usually the disease called
damping-off that is responsible. Damping Off Disease – A
Condition Not Disease The cause is not one specific organism, as
with most plant diseases, but may be any one of several fungi
which live in the soil near the surface and, under favorable
conditions, enter the plants just as they come out of the
ground. The slender, tender stems shrivel up and the plants
topple over. Too thick planting and high humidity are factors
favoring the development of these fungi which may cause losses
up to even 90 or 100 per cent of an entire planting. There is no
way to cure or save a seedling affecte