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  • melbaboutown
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    1 year ago

    I think I know what the problem with the spinach damping off is. The pots are self watering and perhaps the heavy rains filled the bottom reservoir then flooded the soil. Causing any fungus or bacteria to overgrow.

    I should have been tipping the excess water out regularly but forgot, lately I’ve had my hands full with just myself and the furbaby.

    Am I going to have to dump this crop, get rid of the soil, clean the pot and start again?

    • Rusty Raven M
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      1 year ago

      I’d try emptying out the water and letting the soil dry off, then watering from the top with a dilute seaweed fertiliser. Dump the water that filters through into the reservoir a couple of times and keep watering the soil itself for a while to help to flush out any nasty things built up in the soil. If the damage is not too bad it should recover, but if it is not showing good new growth in a week or two then you might need to go with new soil.

      • melbaboutown
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        1 year ago

        Thanks. What a pain. This wouldn’t have happened if I’d kept bringing them inside at night. I dropped the ball

        • Rusty Raven M
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          1 year ago

          My gardening history is basically a long chain of dropping the ball and then working out how to pick it up. I’m getting incrementally better over time, but managing things that need constant, regular work rather than intermittent bursts is not my strong suit.

          • melbaboutown
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            1 year ago

            Exactly. Consistency is hard for me especially when dealing with other higher priority stuff so that’s why I kept the endeavour so small

    • Taleya
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      1 year ago

      Dump out water, let dry, watch.

      Water if needed, but otherwise plants are pretty damned hardy.

      • melbaboutown
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        1 year ago

        At least I’ll be continuously sowing so if the soil fixes itself the next batch might do ok