Why are my cabbage transplants dying?
Did your cabbage transplants die soon after planting? Often this is caused by a damping-off disease. Damping-off diseases are caused by various fungi that live in the soil. The most common are caused by two genera of fungi, Rhizoctonia and Pythium.
We have seen symptoms like those shown in the pictures below, where transplants appear to be rotting near the soil surface and falling over, which is a typical sign of damping-off:
However, these samples were sent to the lab for diagnosis and no pathogens were found. We believe that these plants were a victim to the harsh heat they experienced when planted. Temperatures averaged in the 90’s when these transplants were placed in the field. Likely no amount of irrigation could have been sufficient enough for these transplants to withstand the heat.
If you suspect damping-off, however, call the Extension office and talk to Jeremy or I. Transplants should be treated with a fungicide when leaving the greenhouse. Once damping-off is discovered in the field there is no cure, only prevention.