All my beetroot seedlings died after a few days

[bario1]

Hi, i sowed some beetroot seedlings in modules in my cold frame a couple of weeks back. When i checked on them on Tuesday mornig they were doing fine, all up, 1cm tall and looking healthy... but last night i checked on them and they were all dead! I think they might have drowned - i had a propagator lid over the modules inside the cold frame and that was full of condensation and the compost was soaking wet. I'll sow some more, but is there much hope for the carrot seeds i sowed in the other half of the module tray? They haven't germinated yet.


Any thoughts appreciated.

[rustylady]

I can't understand how a lid could make your compost so wet.

Have you been watering the modules too often, or they standing in a puddle?

[bario1]

I may have over watered them - some of the other stuff i sowed in cardboard pots dries out so quickly i have to water them every day, and they are all stood in growbag trays so water may have got trapped under the (plastic) modules... maybe i've steamed my beetroot?

[rustylady]

I think maybe you have steamed them. Take it easy on the watering. I lift my trays and pots to feel how heavy they are, and if they need watering I do it by standing them in a shallow tray of water for 20 minutes or so. That way they just take up what water they need. It's not good to keep them permanently sitting in water.