I have been in situations where the people around me are sharing (competing) about who has the woe-est of woes. The conversation feels icky, like a ray of positivity would be unwelcome and offensive. Some people live their whole lives in negativity, focusing on the bad and telling themselves sad stories. That is not what I am talking about.
I am talking about the heartache felt after loving and watching over precious little seeds, squealing with delight as they grew tall and strong, and seeing them turn suddenly and wilt without warning. Apparently this is called damping off. I read this article out of curiosity, and I instantly felt relief….”I WASN’T THE ONLY ONE!!!!” There isn’t anything wrong with me! I can do something about this!
Turns out seedlings that look perfectly healthy die quickly from being choked off by fungi!
Yes, I had these beautiful seedlings that died suddenly, and I grieved and wondered what we had done wrong. Well, someone else had felt my heartache, time and time again. They, however, transformed their multiple tragedies into joyful learning for others. Yup, I can do things to try to avoid them dying like that the next time around.
- Try bottom watering rather than watering from the top.
- Ensure adequate ventilation.
- Sterilize the soil……not sure about this one, but an interesting thought nonetheless….
