It sounds like your seeds are infected with seed bourne disease. But then again, you plant those seeds outdoors so idk... maybe it is your mix?

I started cabbage last year indoors into Nature's Care Organic Potting Mix... it was what was available and worked fine. It was "Quick Start" from Harris. This year I am starting most of my seeds in Burpee Seed Starting Mix (mostly coir) then transplanting to the Nature's Care Potting Mix (which is peat and compost). Again it is what is available this time of year at the stores that are open.

They were grown under a T5HO grow light at room temperature on a sunny windowsill (the dry heat in my house may cause lankiness a bit but also discourages damping off.)

I would suggest ordering fresh seeds from a quality source, like Johnny's.

Quick Start from Harris

Pictures from last year:

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/2931450/potting-up-brassicas

The seeds ARE from Johnny's) I feel it is something in my house that just waits for a right moment. May be I have to skip a year or two trying.... Also I kind of blaming not enough sun downstairs. But I only have two choices - 75F and full sun window, or 62F and window under deck.

Try them on the 75F full sun window IMHO they will be fine. They need good supplemental light though or they will commit leggy suicide

I always use supplement lights) If you look at my house at early night from far outside, it looks like a space ship) All the windows glow... Every year I am waiting for police to come to check what I am growing).

Haha yeah we have police at the park across the street all the time, I wonder if they pull out the binocculars, and I am probably the only one in the neighborhood not growing cannabis. You can see the glow from the end of the street.

I really think you should give the windowsill a try.

I would suggest to try a heat mat. Usually all kinds of rot problems come from the cold and damp soil. I would let the tops to be in the cold and the roots to be in the warmer soil. Or you can try to create a breeze with small ventilator, to imitate outside conditions.

Hm, interesting idea, I use heat mat, but only until they germinate. What puzzles me, that root system and stem look completely fine.

galina- if it is indeed bacterial black rot (and the one sided growth certainly points to that ), research seems to show that only proper sanitation keeps it at bay. It sounds as if you are sterilizing right, and your seed is fine, as well as new soils.

Your only other source of infection that you have not changed is the water, apparently it can be in that. It is indeed a frustrating puzzle for you, if you think the water and watering can is fine the only thing to suggest is try a different spot, to grow them or maybe add a lite fan to circulate the air.

Bacterial rot from my research is very tenacious and can live in soils etc. for a year.

Hmmm... you may just solved it! I use a bottle with a narrow tube attached to water my seedlings. I try not to touch the soil or plants, but who knows, it may splash a bit... And it is only thing I do not sterilize! I will try again, I started earlier this year to have a second chance). Thanks!

Good luck galinas! Maybe you should try some bottled water :)

Yeah, right) Bottled water and nice 3D sound relaxing music for my cabbage - that will do it) Sometimes I am wandering - am I really in my mind still? It is way-way-way cheaper to by this cabbage in the very organic-shmorganic market))) . But still, every year - here I am, how about to start some early cabbage)

They are very cute. You could grow them as an ornamental if no other reason.

I'm wondering why you "do hot water treatment for seeds" and also why you have them on a heat mat. Brassicas will sprout fairly quick even in cooler soil. Have you tried just starting the seeds in the cooler location without doing anything special to them?

Rodney

galinas- I always used cooled boiled water with a little hydrogen peroxide, in a mist bottle for the first few waterings especially on sensitive tiny seedlings. I learned this from a begonia grower and believe me, begonia seedlings can be very touchy.

Let us know if you have solved this and just for the record, lol, I too wonder if my mind is wandering and if all the seed starting is worth it. But cheeper is not necessarily better, and besides, the joy is as much in the growing as the eating.

Rodney, I did try to start them in cool location and not treated, it took very long and they died) Though they die anyway. Hot treatment for seeds is to prevent seed transmitted problems, I always do it for most of the seeds unless seeds are marked as "treated". This can affect germination, but that is not the problem - problem is the disease that strike them in about a week after germination.

ubro, I thought boiled water is not good for plants (something changes in the structure of it), but if you have a success with it, I will try it too. Thanks!