While plants can die at any stage of life, they’re most vulnerable as seedlings (about two to three weeks after germination). At that stage, one of the most common killers is damping-off disease. According to the University of Wisconsin Madison Department of Horticulture, damping-off is caused by several soil-borne fungi that are moved around in the soil and on soil-contaminated items like garden tools and plant pots. The infection can cause root rot and is fatal. If your seedlings are infected, they’ll emerge from the soil looking healthy, but soon collapse and die.
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