Cobweb like Mold & Green Algae on Jiffey Pots

Hi Forum- I am attempting to grow broccoli, squash, carrots and tomatoes from seed in those Jiffey peat pots with the dome. Only one of my broccoli pots has sprouted and about 2-3 of the tomatoes (and none of the carrots). There also is this cobweb mold and what looks like green algae or fungus growing on many of the little pots. Help! Not sure what to do about this. I just noticed today that a couple more of the tomatoes are beginning to sprout despite this cobweb and green stuff. I also have only watered the little pots from the bottom up when I first planted the seedlings as they have retained their moisture and are still damp. I propped the dome because there was a lot of condensation on the dome and one or two of the pots had spouted. I am a first time grower and feel pretty clueless about the whole process. I have embarrassingly posted a pic here as it doesn't look good, but appreciate any help/feedback. Thanks!

Hi!
First off, no need to be embarrassed - there are no silly ?? In Dave's Garden. I think your seedlings will be fine.

Couple of observations. Your Jiffy pots look a bit mashed up. Not a problem. They also look just a teeny tiny bit dry. But, Drier is much better than too wet!

I had some of the same fuzzy stuff growing on my potting mix and was told by an expert that there are a few airborne Spores that sometimes find their way to the top of the potting mix and just cozy on in and start growing. Generally, they're harmless.

My growth wasn't as much as yours. I've used a mix of 1 Tbsp of Hydrogen Peroxide to a gallon of warm water to bottom water the pellets. Once you see moisture on the tops of the pellets, carefully pour the excess water out. If it's too much to pour, put a clean cloth/towel in the tray and it'll sop up the water. The H2O should knock the mold out.

Once the very first seedling peeps out, remove the tray top and shove that tray under your grow lights. You have a light plan, right? You can make a simple system with a 48" fluorescent lite kit from HD/Lowe's ($10). You need two bulbs. I've used regular bulbs for years and my seedlings have been fine. You have several options for mounting your light. One as simple as propping the light on books at each end.

Try to keep the light no more than 2" away from the top of your seedlings, and keep the light on them for 12-14 hours per day.

Hope this helps. Keep me posted!

Linda

Here's a picture of my light setup.

This is another setup. 2 pine board shelves sitting on concrete cinder blocks, all from HD/Lowes. Each sjelf has two lite kits side by side, 4 lights per shelf.

Thanks so much for your reply! Going to try the hydrogen peroxide and water. I also assume I need to transplant the seedlings that have sprouted into bigger pots? I see you are using plastic cups (so I am glad I controlled myself and did not spend $$ on the clay pots I saw at the store today). Need to make a stop at HD to get my lights (as I don't have a light system). :)
When I transplant the seedlings, what potting soil do you recommend (if any)? Also, at what point do I then move those transplanted seedlings outside? And my last question is...do you think it's a problem that only a few of the seedlings have sprouted and others have shown no growth yet?

Thanks Again!!

AneIssa,
Hold the horses a bit! You won't be potting up any seedlings until they get their 2ND SET of true leaves.

The first leaves you see Are called cotyledons, which exist only to nourish the seedling. As the seedlings draws nourishment from these "nurse" leaves, the cotyledons will begin to shrivel up. They may even fall off at some point - or not.

The next pair of leaves will be true leaves #1. The next two after that will be true leaves #2. After those get a bit larger and set #3 just start to show, then's the time the seedlings get potted up!

I potted my tomatoes in 18 oz. red solo cups. Next time I start seeds, I'll pot up to 16 oz. CLEAR cups. Seems the seedlings get more overall light in the clear cups. I think the red cups block out all the light except what shines directly from overhead.

I pot the tomatoes deep in the cup and only fill it halfway. I use the same seed starter mix as for the seeds. I bring the soil up to the lowest leaves and add more mix as the seedling gets taller. Tomatoes are the only veggie that will grow roots along its buried stem. So adding potting mix as it gets taller allows a good strong root system to develop on the add'l stem you bury.
So. Until those 2nd leaves, work on your lIght shelves, and start labeling cups and making slIces in them for good drainage.

Lemme know when you're ready for potting up.

Hugs,
Linda

Thanks so much, Linda! Don't know where I'd be in this process w/o your help. Have already watered from bottom up w/ water & hydrogen peroxide mix so hopefully that will work. Working on getting light system up. :)

Will keep you posted!

Hi Aneissa,
Been off reading another thread where someone else has some cobweb type mold growing. The consensus seems to be that some of the moldy stuff is harmless, some not.

Keeping the seedlings just barely damp seems to cure and help avoid a number of ills.

See how one treatment with the H20 does. Oh, some mentioned they gently scraped the moldy stuff off and it didn't come back.

Aneissa,
What's going on with your peat pellets? Haven't heard an update. Post a new pic.

Hugs!

Hello?

Gymgirl,

I noticed that you said you use 1 Tbsp of Hydrogen Peroxide per gallon of water. I'm new at this as well, but I was lead to believe from the link below that a much stronger mix of 1/2 cup of Hydrogen Peroxide per gallon was appropriate for watering seedlings. I've been using this concentration for the past week, and the seedlings are doing okay. Should I be using less?

http://www.using-hydrogen-peroxide.com/gardening-with-hydrogen-peroxide.html

Thanks,

Mark

Hey, Mark!
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" If 1/2 cup is working for you, great.

I've only used lesser amounts of H2O to water my seedlings, as I tend to over do it with the fertilizers and such. And, since I was offering a newbie some help, I definitely wanted to err on the side of caution!

I'll be checking out that link, too! ^^_^^

Thanks for posting it!

Linda

H2O is water. H2O2 is hydrogen peroxide.just to clarify.

Good catch, Lisa!

I also had the cob web kind of mold I used the peroxide and water mixture and it has worked so far. I'm new at growing from seed also. When I was reading about dampening off it recomended running a fan gently near the plants to move the air. This was also to strenthen the plants for eventually going out side. So far so good. Thanks for suggesting to wait for the 3rd leaves to begin and then repot. I was going to do that now but have only 2nd set of leaves. What is the reason for waiting? My plants are kind of leggy and seem unsturdy.

I wouldn't wait I pot up when the second set of leaves are coming on. With tomatoes pot them up as deep as possible. Roots will grow along any part of the stem that is in buried

Hi!
Sorry have been off line for a bit. Was battling a bad flu but feeling much better now. However, I can't say the same for my seedlings. My tomatoe seeds were the only ones that really sprouted and now look very long, weak, and not well (2nd leaves haven't sprouted yet either). I have yielded nothing from all of my other seedlings which were broccoli, carrots, squash.
Is it too late for me to start again or sow seeds directly in the ground? I live in Northern CA and we are just wrapping up a very rainy season. We've had several days of continuous heavy rain but looks like sunny weather is on its way!
Any suggestions? Don't want to give up! :(

I also use Hydrogen Peroxide when starting seeds. But I've read that it should not be used after the plants are in the garden, the Hydrogen Peroxide kills microorganism of all types so it is not good in the garden soil.

Aneissa,

It's never too late for gardening! Maybe for some things, but the great part about gardening is that one season just follows the last one! So, no need to give up. Just need to find out what comes next and get ready for that season. Give me an idea of what your daily temps are now, and what temp's you expect ahead.

►Broccoli is a cool/cold weather crop that will certainly bolt (go to flower and seed buds) once the weather gets too hot for it. Seeds are usually started in the 2 months immediately preceeding the fall season, and the broccolis are allowed to grow through the cool of fall and as much of the winter as possible without the freezing weather damaging or killing it. If you expect some dips below the 40s they will need to be protected -- no long, sustained frosts -- they're ok for beach volleyball down into the mid-40's for say overnight or a couple nights. More than that, they might sustain some damage, so be prepared to protect them and the cabbages and cauliflowers that follow the same planting schedule.

►Carrots can be sown in the springtime and grown on into the cool weather. I think they can grow through the winter, too. (someone will correct me on this...) They usually require at least 100 days to maturity (DTM), so factor back from when your cool weather starts and you'll know when to sprinkle carrot seeds. Although I've heard of people transplanting carrots, I'd suggest you decide to sprinkle them where you're going to grow them. They like LOOSE soil so they can grow straight down easily -- otherwise you'll grow something to use as a Halloween decoration!

►Find the County Extension office website for your area. They should have an online chart of what you can grow, and when. Let me know if you don't find it.

►Also, determine your growing zone and edit your preferences to include it under your city and state. It'll really help other growers advise you, if we know the zone your growing in.

Linda

rentman, "the Hydrogen Peroxide kills microorganism of all types". Yep, that's why it is used so often as a disinfectant, to "kill germs". I'm with you and think it gets too easily overused.

Linda, I've see you post "they're ok for beach volleyball down into the mid-40's for say overnight"
twice now. What in the world does that mean? What are you referring to w/the volleyball example? Confused here....

Aneissa, like Linda said, it's never too late to garden. There is always something you can be doing be it sowing seeds, setting out, planning when to do what, etc. Glad you are over your bad spell and getting healthy again. By the way, your very long, weak tomato plants may not be getting enough light or warmth or combination of both. And if your other seeds haven't sprouted, how long has it been since sowing them? And how warm have they been?

Shoe...off to enjoy sunshine again, warming up here and finally not overcast. Yay!

Okay, thanks. Still don't get it though. To me, volleyball is played on the beach, summer weather! *grin

Thanks. Hope all your stuff is growing well!
Shoe

Shoe,
You've got it! You just don't realize you've got it!

Yes, beach volleyball is played on the beach in the summer weather (and generally in skimpy almost naked clothing!)

The analogy was meant to convey that even though the temps out are chilly to us, the cole crops (cabbages, broccoli, cauliflowrs, turnips, etc.) look forward to it as time to break out the old volleyball, throw off the clothes, and let's party on the beach! Meaning, they LOVE the cooler/cold temps!

Yep, I got it, broc and family thrive on cool weather, volley ball players don't. Those po' beach volley ballers would be complaining to no end.

Back to work, potting up umpteen pepper plants, tomatoes, perennials, so nice in the greenhouse. Heck, I should put up a volley ball net in there...*grin

Happy Day!
Shoe

Okay, I'm glad Gymgirl explained her volley ball analogy so even I can understand it :)

Heheheh, yep, 'tis a common problem when new words and expressions are first introduced, Honeybee. I remember my DD making motions w/her hands as a child. She told me it was her "sign language" and I have to learn hers, that it was different from the sign language I used. (I used to work with deaf and mute people.) Needless to say she never learned mine and vice-versa. Then again, I don't think she ever learned hers either! But it was fun!

Getting our share of rain today, ain't we? Got mud between my toes and hope to spend the rest of the day in the greenhouse, damp, cool, but better than the pouring rain. But just think, this is perfect pea and beet weather!

Shoe

Shoe