Friday, April 6, 2012

Fan Them

The transplant seedlings are growing beautifully.



It's time to put a fan on them.  Indoor seedlings grow in a very artificial environment.  They live in perfectly still air and don't move at all.  This leads to weaker stems and can promote damping off - a fungus that enters young seedlings from the soil and kills the baby plant.    

Putting a gently blowing, oscillating fan, just enough to make the seedlings "shiver," helps conquer these problems.  Leave the fan blowing gently on the plants for about fifteen minute periods, two or three times a day.  The moving air keeps the surface of the soil slightly dryer and helps fight damping off.  The tender plants move a tiny bit each time the air blows and I've read that this creates an enzyme in the plant that thickens their stems.

Happy Growing!

Be sure to hop over to Homestead Revival's Barn Hop!


6 comments:

  1. This applies to people too! Getting outside in the sunshine and let wind blow on us is good for us too, as long as the temperature aren't too cold, that is. Today, it's kind of on the cool side.

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  2. We have just started planting some seedlings. We don't raise everything from seedlings at this time. Something to work towards. I like to plant it in the garden and not in the house! It is amazing how much food you can get out of a few dollars of seeds though.
    I'm now a follower of your blog! oursweetlandfarm.blogspot.com

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  3. Wooleylot... so, so true! Sweetland Farm. Thank you! I've been going to more and more transplants over the years. It's so much easier to tell between the weeds and the baby plants when I'm weeding!

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  4. I have heard this before, great tip! :)

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  5. What a great idea! I never thought of fanning my seedlings. Thanks for the tip.

    http://healthyhomesteading.com

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