How to avoid rotting seedlings: a mistake made by inept summer residents
As the planting season approaches, it's time to transfer tender young seedlings grown at home to the warmth of a greenhouse or to open ground. As SSPDaily notes, not all seedlings have the endurance to survive until this time, and this can be explained by an elementary oversight during planting.
Every avid gardener wants his seedlings to develop strongly, without being in danger of wilting or rotting until the moment of transplantation. Therefore, it is extremely important to never use old soil as planting material. Soil left over from previous gardening operations or that has already been used for seedlings can contain many pathogens and insect larvae.
If it is not possible to purchase fresh soil, proper treatment of the old soil becomes necessary. Simply freezing it for a long time is not enough to destroy undesirable organisms that harm the health of seedlings. After the first watering of the soil, dormant insect larvae wake up, posing a threat.
To avoid dangerous consequences, it is very important to purchase new soil for seedlings. If there are problems with purchasing it, then thorough treatment of the old soil becomes a must – by calcining and disinfecting it with appropriate chemical solutions. Failure to observe this important step will inevitably lead to root rot, which will jeopardize the survival of the seedlings.