[Nadlen]

Hi there!
We have two allotments and this is second year when we have same problems. When we start our seeds in trays and propagators in the kitchen,they germinate very well,start to grow and then being munched/sucked all juices out at the ground level. Stem is going brown,dry and plant dies.

What I read these * come from the compost I use. If its not completely decomposted and there are still remainings of organic and EGGS of damn flying munchers. They hatch when its damn and warm. At first I re-used last year compost,then we bought new bags,I filled a tray ,sown seeds of different flowers,put a LID on. So er...half of tender seedlings were munched but when I open the lid there is no flies at all.

It's April now and all i have is couple plants of each variaty i sown!!! Help,please! All I could find is an advice to let compost surface to dry out...
Oh,yes and I grow radishes in our back garden and noticed same thing - like someone is munching stems at ground level.

PS: Another failure happened with cold frame,even though we tried to make it a WARM frame.   But meh...our own fault,+8 is still quite cold,I wouldn't be happy to sleep outside either.

[8doubles]

Sounds like Damping off, http://www.hort.uconn.edu/ipm/greenhs/htms/dampofgh.htm

Too cold and wet.

Or in the kitchen too wet not enough air circulation.

[Nadlen]

Looks like it but can't be cold in the house!?

[JayG]

Your problems with seeds sown in propagators sounds more like damping-off disease to me which is caused by a type (actually more than one type) of fungus which thrives in warm humid conditions and causes young seedlings to collapse and die from the base just as you have described.

It's important to take the lid off at the very first signs of germination and not to over-water.

Not sure about your radishes; being outside it could be one of several pests but I'd concentrate on sorting my indoor seeds out first!

[Composto]

Sounds very much like damping off fungi.  Provide good ventilation and adequate light as well as warmth.

[Nadlen]

Oh,thank you very much. I was very silly,kept lids on. Doh..how many I killed by now! :blink: