seedlings

This week's word of the week is DAMPING-OFF. Dictionary.com defines damping-off as a disease of seedlings, occurring either before or immediately after emerging from the soil, characterized by rotting of the stem at soil level and eventual collapse of the plant, caused by any of several soil fungi. 

As gardeners eagerly await the official beginning of the spring season, there will be lots of seeds being sowed at home, or commercially in greenhouses across Ohio to support gardeners efforts in growing food, supporting pollinators and creating beauty in gardens and...

A good sample is critical for successful diagnosis.  Recently, seedlings were received at OSU’s C. Wayne Ellett Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic.  Diagnosticians often examine poorly packaged samples which arrive in poor condition. 

Seedling samples are challenging to package and ship; they deteriorate rapidly.  Send the entire tray if they are being produced as plugs or cut out a portion of the tray to allow samples to arrive in the best condition.  If plugs are being removed from the tray wrap the roots and associated media in foil or plastic wrap to keep the media on the roots...