Help, My Watermelon Seedlings are Dying
Watermelon damping off has a set of recognizable symptoms. It affects young seedlings, which wilt and often fall over. The lower part of the stem becomes waterlogged and girdled near the soil line. If pulled out of the ground, the plant’s roots will be discolored and stunted. These problems can be directly traced to Pythium, a family of fungi that lives in the soil. There are several species of Pythium that can lead to damping off in watermelon plants. They tend to strike in cool, moist environments.
How to Prevent Watermelon Damping Off
Since the Pythium fungus thrives in the cold and the wet, it can often be prevented by keeping seedlings warm and on the dry side. It tends to be a real problem with watermelon seeds that are sown directly in the ground. Instead, start seeds in pots that can be kept warm and dry. Don’t plant the seedlings out until they have at least one set of true leaves. Often this is enough to prevent damping off, but Pythium has been known to strike in warm soils as well. If your seedlings are already showing signs, remove the plants that are affected. Apply fungicides containing mefenoxam and azoxystrobin to the soil. Be sure to read the instructions – only a certain amount of mefenoxam can be safely applied to plants each year. This should kill the fungus and give the remaining seedlings a chance to thrive.
