indoor seedlings are sprouting... but...

I started my vegetable and herb seeds indoors about two weeks ago, and they are all mostly sprouted now. However, there is a strange grwoth on several of them... looks like bread crumbs... does anyone know what this is? is it safe? should I scoop it out? more and more seem to grow everyday.

Doesn't sound good - can you do macro photography? Mean while, until you identify it, I'd try to group the ones with it away from the ones without it. Could it be exactly what it looks like? Something flaking then landing on the seedlings?

This may be way out there and I'm just guessing without a picture, but could it be that as you are watering your plants perlite in the mix is being exposed to the surface and looks like bread crumbs? When I look at some of my seedlings from a distance, that is kind of what it looks like. Also, the perlite will discolor from the bright white to a tan/brown color after it's in the pot for a while (stained from the perlite).

If that is not it, I don't think you have to worry, there is no plant pathogen that I can even imagine that appears as you are describing.

If you can, a picture would be very helpful.

Correction in the parenthesis, should read "(stained from the peat)" not "(stained from the perlite)"

Hi everyone! Thanks for your replies... "bread crumbs" is probably not the best way to describe, so I'm posting some pictures... it's the best I could get. What do you think? trc... perhaps you are right, is that a bad thing?

Jenn, I can't tell for sure from your picture, but if the small brown/tan "objects" are hard and you can "crush" them with hard pressure it is probably the perlite in the mix. Try doing all your watering from the bottom and see if they stop "appearing". Your picture looks just like my soil when I water from the top and some of the perlite gets washed to the top.

I wouldn't worry about it. I agree its the perlite or peatmoss coming to the surface . Your seedlings look like they are doing great and that's what counts!

Could they be the seed cases?

I agree - it looks like something harmless working its way to the surface, not a disease.

Thanks guys! I can definitely crush them - they're a little oily when I crush it between my fingers. Doesn't seem to be affecting my seedlings though, they're doing great! And I've been watering them from underneath already, I have a self-watering mat.

Thanks for all your feedback!