Contaminated seed starting mix ?

[travis]

What were the brand names of the two mixes? And what else did it say in the name, like Pro-mix BX or Jiffy Seed Starting Mix, something like that?

[Barbee]

Aminopyralid contamination only affects certain crops as far as I know. Here is a list I found of crops affected:

Potatoes
Peas, beans and other legumes
Carrots and other umbelliferae
Tomatoes
Lettuce, spinach and other compositae
Dahlias
Some species of roses

If you have broccoli, peppers, and other crops not listed going down, you should be able to rule out contaminated seed mix. If you are sure it's the potting mix, you should be able to send a sample in to Dow and have them test it for contamination. Their email for aminopyralid issues is info(at)dow.com

[KLorentz]

Originally Posted by troad

Kevin,
Did you plant some peppers (like perhaps a seasoning pepper) and have any of them show mixed coloring and possibly some leaf edges that appeared ragged or somewhat blackening on the edge? The peppers would have leaves that looked partially okay and partially like they were in need of iron ie, kind of yellowed? Were this peppers near the other plants-like under the same lights.
When your tomatoes withered did it seem like the top half of the seedlings sort of just disintegrated leaving basically a half of a stem left standing?
Len

All my seedlings show the same thing. droppy leaves that shrivel and die.I am more inclined to think this is herbicide contamination than anything else.

[KLorentz]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Maybe mites? It takes at least a 10 power lens to see them. A gal at another forum had them all over her new seedlings, which were indoors under lights. She had russet mites. You treat them with insecticidal soap, and other things like neem, but I personally wouldn't put neem on seedlings so young. Can you post a picture or 2?

Marsha

I did think about that and looked at the thread you mentioned and have ruled out mite or thrip damage. The damage shown in that thread is different.

Originally Posted by Barbee

Aminopyralid contamination only affects certain crops as far as I know. Here is a list I found of crops affected:

Potatoes
Peas, beans and other legumes
Carrots and other umbelliferae
Tomatoes
Lettuce, spinach and other compositae
Dahlias
Some species of roses

If you have broccoli, peppers, and other crops not listed going down, you should be able to rule out contaminated seed mix. If you are sure it's the potting mix, you should be able to send a sample in to Dow and have them test it for contamination. Their email for aminopyralid issues is info(at)dow.com

Yep peppers,brasicas,lettuce and assorted flowers.

[neoguy]

Just name what you bought. That would help a lot. No one is going to get a lawyer, unless Pepper Joe is involved.

[KLorentz]

Well I guess the boss can delete it if he needs to. It was Pro-Mix Ultimate Organic and a milder reaction using Jiffy Organic in the twelve quart bag .

[JamesL]

Kevin,
The ultimate organic has a 3 month fert charge in it. It is also not a sterile soilless mix......

[KLorentz]

Really ? I wonder why they market it as a seed starter mix ? Nothing in the description about it but it makes seance.

here is a link to from Greenhouse Megastore.


http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/p...-seeding-mix/s

[JamesL]

That isn't the product I thought you were referring to but that one does come pre-loaded as well.
They make an ultimate organic and ultimate organic seeding. Along with 40 some odd other versions.
I have used ultimate organic for flowers but have not seen the seeding version first hand.
http://www.promixfindgrowtopia.com/p...d-starting-mix

[JamesL]

Kevin,
I am going to guess that you got some sort of damping off pathogen. 2 bags from 2 different companies both contaminated doesn't really seem to fit.
If you are going to restart seed you could try using hydrogen peroxide to pretreat your mix.
1 part 3% h2o2 plus 2 parts water. Use it to water your mix first and/or put it in a spray bottle and spray everything down with it. It will kill everything, good and bad and break down to plain water and oxygen in an hour.

[KLorentz]

That's not good for a seed stating mix. Any company worth their salt should know that. That is one big reason I avoid Miracle Gro like the plague. Might work fine for older plants but certainly not for seed starting. Thanks for the heads up James.

[KLorentz]

Originally Posted by JamesL

Kevin,
I am going to guess that you got some sort of damping off pathogen. 2 bags from 2 different companies both contaminated doesn't really seem to fit.
If you are going to restart seed you could try using hydrogen peroxide to pretreat your mix.
1 part 3% h2o2 plus 2 parts water. Use it to water your mix first and/or put it in a spray bottle and spray everything down with it. It will kill everything, good and bad and break down to plain water and oxygen in an hour.

Good advice,


Here is the thing . Another gardener on another forum had the same symptoms with his plants and from the sounds of it lost far more than I did.Sure I have lost a few seedlings to damping off in the past That is very common.But over 100 seedlings ? I just can't see loosing the whole lot to that. Now that you pointed out that some of even pro-mix is pre loaded with fertilizer this is the likely cause.

[JamesL]

That is a horse of a different color. Suggestive of a large batch that was either too "hot" (fertilizer) or some other contamination that only killed the seedlings once the roots started taking up whatever was in the mix.
Your options as I see them:
1. Chuck the bags and call it a day;
2. Have it tested and email the company with the results;
3. Email the company and see if they want the bag back for testing.
If it is definitively the mix, maybe you get an apology and a coupon, maybe not.
Unfortunately none of the above helps you get plants in the ground.

I am an option one guy. Chuck'em, hit the heavy bag to take out some aggression and call it a day. Start over again tomorrow.
And maybe vent some more here to the people that certainly understand!

[KLorentz]

option one taken care of

[JamesL]

Did you use the bag of mix as a heavy bag? You have enhanced your calm....