Mold?

There is white moldy looking stuff on the top of the dirt that my seedlings are in. I don't know why as they have not been kept overly moist, they get lots of light and I use filtered water. My real question is can I re use this dirt or will it always be contaminated? Can I scrape off the top and us the rest? I have many trays so there is a lot of dirt I don't want to waste. Thanks, MJ

Reply to
mjciccarel
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I have heard that the mold is not harmful to the seedlings. Some scrape it off and compost it, but it might cause sneezing. I scraped some of mine off, and left some on, and they seem to be doing about the same. I have taken to not watering my tomato seedlings as often as before, to try to alleviate this problem. The peat pots seem so alarmingly dry, but the mold hasn't come back and the plants still look okay, so I am apparently doing something right. (I can feel dampness when I stick my finger into the soil.) Watering from below (either with soak-up peat pots or with aqua spikes) may help the problem somewhat.

--S.

Reply to
Suzanne D.

Been there. Done that. Let's hope it isn't damping off. If it is, you will need to start over and sterilize your potting mix first (181F for

20 min or 160F for an hour).

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Damping-off is a common disease that kills seedlings in the greenhouse. Damping-off can kill both germinating seeds and young seedlings. Several fungi can cause this disease, including Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium spp., Phytophthora spp., Sclerotinia spp., and Botrytis spp. Most of these fungi can also cause cuttings to rot. These fungi are found in practically all soils and pose a large threat to plant propagation. Practically all species of plants can be affected.

Symptoms. Damping-off often is seen in round patches in seeding flats. Preemergence damping-off is a term used to describe the rot of seeds, or the death of the seedlings, before they emerge from the soil. Post-emergence damping-off affects seedlings that have already emerged from the soil. These seedlings may develop a dark stem rot near the soil surface which will cause them to fall over and die as the rotted area shrivels.

They may also rot from the tips of the roots. This rot will progress up the seedling until the stem is rotted. Seedlings that survive until they are a bit older before they are infected may develop "wire-stem", a condition in which the base of the stem is partially invaded by the fungus. There is often a discolored and slightly shriveled or constricted area at or just below the soil line. Although the plant lives for a while, it is stunted and pale, and often will eventually die. Brown or white fungal growth may be seen on the surface of the potting media or on the seedlings themselves. Prevention. The best way to control this disease is to prevent it. There are many prevention techniques, and a combination of them is most effective. ? One way to help prevent this disease is to keep the fungi that cause it out of the flats of seeds. ? Plant seeds and root cuttings only in sterilized seedling mix or other planting media, using only sterilized containers. ? Use only clean non-recycled water on the seeds. ? Place seed trays on clean, sterilized benches. ? Do not allow soiled hands and tools to come into contact with the sterile media. Reintroduction of the fungi can cause fast disease progression because other fungi which normally compete with these fungi are absent from sterile mixes. ? Remove any trays with damping-off immediately.

Reply to
Billy

Is it mold or mineralization?

Is it seed starting mix or soil?

Reply to
phorbin

I agree with the above and would even say the mold is beneficial to most plants except 'fussy' ones such as grevilleas. So only remove if odour is unpleasant or if it effects the aesthetics or look of your plants (indoor potplants 4 example). The mold is just micro-organisms doing thier job and is completely harmless. goodluck and godbless , kris

Reply to
kris anthem um

Reply to
g.i_Fire

Newsgroups are a great way to dicuess topics. In this case, the topic is general gardening

Reply to
g.i_Fire

Meaning????

Reply to
joebee

Would it be mineralization with filtered water? It is potting soil. MJ

Reply to
mjciccarel

If this same "filtered water" is allowed to stand and evaporate in a container, is its remnants appearance the same as the "mold" you describe? If so, probably dissolved minerals in the water.

Another possiblity is the "soil" itself having surfactant properities of minerals/chemicals within surfacing as well when water is applied.

Reply to
Dioclese

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