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Mold on My Seedlings
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Author:  Kathleen-GT [ Fri Jul 13, 2012 8:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Mold on My Seedlings

I just started my fall tomato seedlings last week, and for some reason they have a white mold or fungus growing on the surface of the dirt. It doesn't seem to be because they're too wet. Even those that are up and uncovered are still getting the mold on them after they've dried out for a few days. Could it just be because of all the rain and the insanely high mold counts in the air here right now? Or have I done something wrong? And how can I stop it? Thanks!!

Author:  northwesterner [ Fri Jul 13, 2012 9:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mold on My Seedlings

Photos always help.

What are they planted in? Is this the same kind of white tendrils that you see when you turn your healthy compost pile?

I went looking for a photo of mycorrhizal fungi and ended up on a British marijuana growing site, but the photo still works:

If there is a fresh compost in the soil or the soil is really healthy chances are you have micorrhizal fungi activity which is the best thing you can have. There are products to add it to the soil (AlphaBiosystem's Thrive) that increase it. I believe that the AlphaBIOsystem.com product is all the same, regardless of if it is flower Thrive or Tomato Thrive, etc.

Look in the Library and you'll find reference to a lot of articles about this beneficial fungi.


Image

Author:  Kathleen-GT [ Fri Jul 13, 2012 9:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mold on My Seedlings

No, it doesn't look like that at all. It's like a thin cottony fuzz on the top of the soil. I've been just scraping it off every day, but it keeps coming back. I think it first appeared after I sprayed a little compost tea solution on the seedlings. I planted in brand new seed planting trays with the pellets in them that you wet and they expand.

Author:  northwesterner [ Fri Jul 13, 2012 10:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mold on My Seedlings

Take a photo before you scrape next time and let us take a look at it.

Author:  Kathleen-GT [ Sat Jul 14, 2012 8:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mold on My Seedlings

Pics attached.

Attachments:
Moldy Seedlings 002A.jpg
Moldy Seedlings 002A.jpg [ 255.32 KiB | Viewed 10002 times ]
Moldy Seedlings 001A.jpg
Moldy Seedlings 001A.jpg [ 253.91 KiB | Viewed 10002 times ]

Author:  northwesterner [ Sat Jul 14, 2012 8:25 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mold on My Seedlings

Thanks!

What is in your planting soil?

Author:  Kathleen-GT [ Sat Jul 14, 2012 8:38 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mold on My Seedlings

I used the Burpee eco-friendly, self-watering starting system. It just says the cells are made of natural coconut fiber. Googling to see what other ingredients might be in them.

Author:  Kathleen-GT [ Sat Jul 14, 2012 8:50 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mold on My Seedlings

Can't find anything on Burpee's website about what else might be in these pellets. I did also add just a little bit of Tomato-Tone to the dirt, mixed in well, before planting. I didn't add it to my peppers, not up yet, but also seeing this mold on the peppers' dirt. So I don't think it's the Tomato-Tone.

Author:  Kathleen-GT [ Sat Jul 14, 2012 10:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mold on My Seedlings

I have to take that back. I rechecked my peppers just now, and they DON'T seem to have the mold on them (maybe just a touch on a couple, but won't be clear until tomorrow). The ingredients for the Tomato-tone by Espoma that I added to the tomatoes are below. I'm probably totally messed up my seedlings. Am I going to have to start all new seedlings, or can this be fixed? :( Thanks so much for all your help!!!

Total Nitrogen (N) 3%
.2% Ammoniacal Nitrogen
.7% Other Water Soluble Nitrogen
2.1% Water Insoluble Nitrogen*
Available Phosphate (P2O5) 4%
Soluble Potash (K2)) 6%
Calcium (Ca) 5%
Magnesium (Mg) 1%
.7% Water Soluble Magnesium (Mg)
Sulfur (S) 3%
*Contains 2.1% slow release nitrogen from hydrolyzed feather meal, pasteurized poultry manure, cocoa meal, bone meal, and alfalfa meal.

Derived from: Hydrolyzed feather meal, pasteurized poultry manure, cocoa meal, bone meal, alfalfa meal, greensand, humates, sulfate of potash, and sulfate of potash magnesia

Non-plant-food Ingredients
Contains 916 Colony Forming Units (CFU's) per gram of the following species:
Acidovorax facilis 21 CFUs/gram
Bacillus licheniformis 208 CFUs/gram
Bacillus megaterium 208 CFUs/gram
Bacillus pumilus 208 CFUs/gram
Bacillus subtillis 208 CFUs/gram
Cellulomonas flavigena 21 CFUs/gram
Paenibacillus polymyxa 21 CFUs/gram
Pseudomonas alcaligenes 21 CFUs/gram

Author:  northwesterner [ Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mold on My Seedlings

If they're not dead, if they look healthy, give them a shot. There is a lot of biological activity that happens in the soil and this may not have an adverse effect on the seedlings.

Author:  Kathleen-GT [ Sun Jul 15, 2012 5:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mold on My Seedlings

Thanks!! I have a little bit of damping off disease even though I haven't watered in days. I guess the cells were overwet when I started? They're airing out now. Hopefully it will stop. Thanks again for all your help!

Author:  sandih [ Mon Jul 16, 2012 5:44 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mold on My Seedlings

I used to propagate thousand of cuttings. Because you are keeping the soil moist, you may get a little mold on the surface. I have seen that as well, with no ill effect. I have often scraped it off.

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