Re: Forcing Lettuce in the Winter
Dear Kohlrabi Rancher (c:
I just want to add my 2 cents worth about preventing damping off. I'm no
expert, but I had SO MUCH damping off in past years that I had to give it
some serious thought, as follows:
(1) if you don't use a soilless sterile seed-starting mix, you have to
sterilize your soil.
(2) the bad culprits of damping-off, mold, and fungus among-us seem to be:
-too much warmth
-too much fertilizer
-too much moisture, especially at the surface of the soil
-too little air flow/ventilation
-sentimental gardener not immediately destroying affected plants and
removing the containers, leading to contamination of the whole windowsill
plantation (yes, mine was on a windowsill)
(3) therefore I'd say, keep your lettuce cool, dilute your fertilizer
(especially N) to weak levels, try to keep the soil surface from getting
soggy (e.g. by putting a layer of sand or vermiculite right on top), try to
get some daily air flow by opening a window or turning on a fan---- AND if
perchance the dread damping-off or fungus or mold makes its appearnace,
remorselessly remove the affected plants, soil, containers.
I guess that's my THREE cents worth.
Julianne
