>> Remove glass or polythene coverings on pots and trays as soon as seedlings germinate or cuttings have taken.
>> Don't overwater.
I don't know why, but keeping the soil surface dry protects against damping off even if the deeper soil is moist or a little too wet. Relatively coarse bark chips on the surface dry out very quickly after top-watering and seem to give a lot of protection against damping off.
I went from "lots" of damping off to "none" by making my seeding mix drain much faster, and keeping a thin layer of coarse bark chips on the surface.
>> Don't overwater.
Of course, tiny seeds that need to be sown on the surface, and/or need light to germinate, can't be sprinkled over 1/4" to 1/2" bark chips and ever germinate! They need to germinate and emerge from some fine surface, like vermiculite. Then, however, you can add bark chips around the seedlings.
>> Don't overwater.
In addition to making the soil surface drain fast and retain almost no water, you can keep the surface dry by providing air movement with a small fan. Humid air strongly encourages damping off.
>> Don't overwater.
If you run out of Chamomile, watering or misting with very dilute hydrogen peroxide also deters damping off and perhaps root rot. Use 1-2 ounces of hydrogen peroxide per quart of water, or 1/2 to 1 cup per gallon of water.
But don't let your misting raise the humidity. And, most important:
>> Don't overwater.
