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

wrote in message
...
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.

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.

In article ,
"Suzanne D." wrote:

wrote in message
...
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.

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.

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).

http://www.hort.uconn.edu/IPM/greenhs/htms/dampofgh.htm
Damping-Off

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.
--

Billy
Kleptocrats Behind Bars
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7843430.stm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KVTf...ef=patrick.net

In article 22d043b1-33e2-4d92-a2a9-7c1211d49905
@k19g2000yqg.googlegroups.com, says...

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



Is it mold or mineralization?

Is it seed starting mix or soil?

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

On Feb 16, 8:13*am, "
wrote:
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

On Feb 16, 8:13*am, "
wrote:
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

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

wrote:
On Feb 16, 8:13 am, "
wrote:
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

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

On Feb 16, 8:46*pm, phorbin wrote:
In article 22d043b1-33e2-4d92-a2a9-7c1211d49905
@k19g2000yqg.googlegroups.com, says...



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

Is it mold or mineralization?

Is it seed starting mix or soil?

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

wrote in message
...
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

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.
--
Dave

CDOs are how we got here.
A modified version, new taxes in the future, is how Congress will get us
out?