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Re: chamomile for damping off

Bob Stewart of Arrowhead Alpines wrote:
> >You prefer to recommend concoctions of dubious efficacy instead? These
> >sorts of home remedies seldom prove to be effective when tested in any
> >sort of a controlled manner. If you want to teach people how to avoid
> >damping off, teach them how to water and how to properly space plants.
> >Fungicides are seldom a substitute for good culture, but in the rare
> >occasions you need them you need something that specifically kills the
> >target organism. Save the tea for drinking.
> >Bob Stewart- Arrowhead Alpines

I was at first taken aback by this message, but had to get some help from the 
person that first recommended it to me, a few years back. In defense 
of my post I must say I would not recommend something that I have not 
used and seen results. I offered it as an alternative to fungicides. I hope that 
when people recommend use of fungicides that they would also give 
warnings about their use also.

Yes, prevention through appropriate environmental conditions should 
be the first approach, but if damping off does occur, there is much anecdotal information
 that chamomile tea does work, and very impressively.  At the very 
least it is harmless.  At the best, maybe you'd find it actually works for you, too.

Here is what this long time organic grower, author and master 
gardener wrote in response to my asking for help:

> I first learned about this in a propagation book about ten years ago where
> it stated that some of the chemical constituents of chamomile exhibit
> antifungal properties.  For the life of me I can't find the reference now.
> I looked for it when I was writing my book.  However, it also appears in a
> book called "Herbs" that was published by the OSU Southern Oregon Experiment
> Station in the late 80s.  Here's what it says:  "Camomile tea is reported to
> be an excellent greenhouse spray, serving to stem or prevent a number of
> plant diseases, particularly damping-off.  Bio-dynamic gardeners use a
> strong camomile tea - allowed to brew a day or more - to spray on flats of
> seedlings to protect them from damping-off." 

I find it works for those times when preventions have failed and 
damping off becomes a problem. For those of us that would like an 
alternative solution. 

Debbie TT  "Out of my mind.  Back in five minutes."  
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