Definition

Noun: A fungal disease that affects seedlings and young plants, causing them to rot and collapse at the soil line, typically in conditions of excessive moisture and poor air circulation.

Examples

• The entire tray of tomato seedlings was lost to damping off.
• To prevent damping off, ensure your seed-starting mix is sterile and well-draining.
• The gardener recognized the symptoms of damping off when the stems of the young plants became thin and water-soaked.

Advanced Usage

• "to damp off" (verb phrase): The process of a seedling succumbing to this disease.
  • If you overwater, the seedlings will damp off.
• Used attributively (as an adjective) to describe the disease or its cause.
  • The damping-off fungus thrives in cool, wet soil.

Variants and Related Words

• Damp-off (verb): The action of a plant being affected by the disease.
  • Seedlings can damp-off very quickly in unfavorable conditions.

Synonyms

• Seedling blight
• Collar rot (in seedlings)

Related Phrases

• Prevent damping off: A common gardening instruction.
  • Using a fan to improve air circulation can help prevent damping off.

Noun

1. a plant disease caused by a fungus; diseased condition of seedlings in excessive moisture