A Poor Start

barbamWY · April 2, 2016

I have started plants from seeds for 40 years, but I have already messed up both my peppers and tomatoes. I started peppers a few weeks ago in my dining room and used a heat mat. After germinating I put them out in my sunroom under lights. That first flat of peppers and eggplants is doing fine.
I then switched over to one of the heavy germinating mat with the wire rack and like a dummy, I plugged the mat into the wall and not into the thermostat, so when I thought about it a week later the soil temperature was 115. I think they are toast and not going to germinate.
So then yesterday I planted 5 flats of tomatoes for our plant sale and when I took off the domes tonight, the seed starting mix is covered with white fuzz. I tipped the flats to make sure there is not any water sitting in the flat and actually there was not much. I panicked and grabbed sulfur powder and doused them. I will leave the domes off tonight. Should I put them under lights to help dry them a bit or is that going to promote more mold? I feel like an idiot. And I traveled for 60 miles today trying to find Garden Salsa and Revolution Peppers with no luck. So I bit the dust and placed an order with $10.50 shipping in the hopes that I can get new seed this next week. The peppers need to be ready for sale on May 7th.

I just need a shoulder to cry on and any suggestions would be appreciated.
Barb

clkeiper · April 3, 2016

*sigh* not much help here, but I commiserate with you. I trashed three seed starts already this Spring, peppers, petunias and impatiens...*sigh* So now I am relying on cuttings from the Jan. seeds start of petunias. not much is coming in the impatiens though. I just restarted peppers last week and they just popped through the soil yesterday, otherwise I would send you afew of them, but neither of the ones you mentioned. My garden salsa were a piddly amount that germinated.. I overheated them, too. I was busy running for doctors appointment for my inlaws and it was sunny one day and it trashed my seeds.

Do you need those specific peppers for your sale? maybe try a few greenhouses for their extras if you aren't to specific with your wants. can you put plants out that early there? I know we never do until late May here. maybe if we all send you a few it would help? I do have some orange Yummy peppers I started in Feb that are a nice size there are about 50 of them. Pm your address if you want them and I'll send them if the weather looks suitable tomorrow.

oakley · April 3, 2016

Now that the domes are off you should see some improvement. Get a fan on them. I run mine 24/7 on low from a distance just so they 'dance' a bit.
The fuzzy looking mold,(not really a mold), is probably feeding on something in your soil. A few things will help like a baking soda/water spray...or mild diluted peroxide. Not had a problem in a while so someone else might have a better solution.
Camomile tea is said to help as well.

When you start again with fresh seed, give your start trays a diluted bleach rinse. Cook your soil to sterilize it.

I think we all get so confident after years of success, then make mistakes so easily that can turn disastrous. (i knew that potting-up soil last year was odd...turned to cement)

Deep breath. You've got time. Just have your trays ready to go as soon as your seeds are in your hands.

barbamWY · April 3, 2016

Thanks, I left the domes off last night and I do have a ceiling fan in the sunroom. I use Light Warrior which I have always had good luck with but I added some Promix HP that I purchased last year. It was very dry so I watered it well before using. Is it the mycorrhizae causing the fuzz? I have used chamomile tea for dampening off. I know it is the sulfur in it that helps and the trays did get a sulphur treatment. I think I will just use the Light Warrior by itself and be very careful to not add too much water. I did bleach the trays and the domes and the six packs also. I have to confess I had a little left over mix I had used successfully for peppers a few weeks ago and it was still damp, so I think that might of started this, although it looked fine. Hopefuly I get improvement on the tomatoes in a day or two and if not then I will reseed. That is cutting it close for the sale. I really do need Garden Salsa and Revolution. I ordered the GS March 31 from Jung and Revolution and GS from TGS yesterday. I will have the pepper's trays ready to go with dry Light Warrior. If I filled the trays and soaked in bleach water does it also kill the mycorrhizae? Thank you for replying, I will try not to stress over it.
Barb

Starlight · April 3, 2016

Once in a while I have this happen from having to much water in the seed cell. I just mix some hydrogen peroxide with water and flush the plant with it and then dry out . Generally the plants go on to do real fine.

barbamWY · April 3, 2016

I sat the flats out uncovered in the sun today. It is supposed to be 63 today. So I hope that dries them out, but I will keep an eye on them.
Barb

barbamWY · April 3, 2016

Well it just keeps getting better. I opened my other bag of Light Warrior and posted the pictures in the disease forum. I have never seen yellow mold. I did not touch it so I don't know if it hard or soft, but there is also a dead moth as well. My bale of Promix is very hard. Is it alright to use? It has been inside all winter so at least I should not have to worry about fungus, but I have to rub it between my hands to break it apart.
Barb

oakley · April 3, 2016

It has been a sponge all this time and attracting all sorts of things. Cook it if you use it for starts or potting up even. I would use it outside in the competing or into the garden till...let it go about its business outside.

April 4, 2016

Just gonna put my 2 cents worth in here. I tried using those Jiffy flats with the clear plastic lid one time only...and my soil also got the fuzzy white looking stuff on there, so I've learned to never use it. It seems to just keep the soil too moist and that is asking for fungus or whatever that white stuff is.
I don't know how everybody else tarts their seeds, but here is what always works well for me. I use those round aluminum worklights (from Walmart) with plain old 60 watt bulbs, and clamp them onto the side of the top of a table...shine it on the seed flats WITHOUT the lid to keep the soil warm. Then I spritz the little Jiffy expandable peat pots 3 times a day with warm water to keep the starter soil moist so that the seeds will germinate, but it sort of dries a bit on top in between spritzings. Never had the fuzzy white soil problem again! And within 3-4 days, I have sprouted seedlings!

kameronth · April 8, 2016

I use the Jiffy dome's. I always get the white fuzz mold on my popsicle sticks I use to mark the plant name. I've never had any issues and never cleaned the fuzz off.

April 2, 2016	#1
barbamWY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: North West Wyoming Posts: 466	A Poor Start I have started plants from seeds for 40 years, but I have already messed up both my peppers and tomatoes. I started peppers a few weeks ago in my dining room and used a heat mat. After germinating I put them out in my sunroom under lights. That first flat of peppers and eggplants is doing fine. I then switched over to one of the heavy germinating mat with the wire rack and like a dummy, I plugged the mat into the wall and not into the thermostat, so when I thought about it a week later the soil temperature was 115. I think they are toast and not going to germinate. So then yesterday I planted 5 flats of tomatoes for our plant sale and when I took off the domes tonight, the seed starting mix is covered with white fuzz. I tipped the flats to make sure there is not any water sitting in the flat and actually there was not much. I panicked and grabbed sulfur powder and doused them. I will leave the domes off tonight. Should I put them under lights to help dry them a bit or is that going to promote more mold? I feel like an idiot. And I traveled for 60 miles today trying to find Garden Salsa and Revolution Peppers with no luck. So I bit the dust and placed an order with $10.50 shipping in the hopes that I can get new seed this next week. The peppers need to be ready for sale on May 7th. I just need a shoulder to cry on and any suggestions would be appreciated. Barb Last edited by barbamWY; April 3, 2016 at 11:34 AM.

April 3, 2016	#2
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	sigh not much help here, but I commiserate with you. I trashed three seed starts already this Spring, peppers, petunias and impatiens...sigh So now I am relying on cuttings from the Jan. seeds start of petunias. not much is coming in the impatiens though. I just restarted peppers last week and they just popped through the soil yesterday, otherwise I would send you afew of them, but neither of the ones you mentioned. My garden salsa were a piddly amount that germinated.. I overheated them, too. I was busy running for doctors appointment for my inlaws and it was sunny one day and it trashed my seeds. Do you need those specific peppers for your sale? maybe try a few greenhouses for their extras if you aren't to specific with your wants. can you put plants out that early there? I know we never do until late May here. maybe if we all send you a few it would help? I do have some orange Yummy peppers I started in Feb that are a nice size there are about 50 of them. Pm your address if you want them and I'll send them if the weather looks suitable tomorrow. __________________ carolyn k

April 4, 2016	#9
grahadp Guest Posts: n/a	seeds started under dome Just gonna put my 2 cents worth in here. I tried using those Jiffy flats with the clear plastic lid one time only...and my soil also got the fuzzy white looking stuff on there, so I've learned to never use it. It seems to just keep the soil too moist and that is asking for fungus or whatever that white stuff is. I don't know how everybody else tarts their seeds, but here is what always works well for me. I use those round aluminum worklights (from Walmart) with plain old 60 watt bulbs, and clamp them onto the side of the top of a table...shine it on the seed flats WITHOUT the lid to keep the soil warm. Then I spritz the little Jiffy expandable peat pots 3 times a day with warm water to keep the starter soil moist so that the seeds will germinate, but it sort of dries a bit on top in between spritzings. Never had the fuzzy white soil problem again! And within 3-4 days, I have sprouted seedlings!

April 3, 2016	#3
oakley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: NewYork 5a Posts: 2,303	Now that the domes are off you should see some improvement. Get a fan on them. I run mine 24/7 on low from a distance just so they 'dance' a bit. The fuzzy looking mold,(not really a mold), is probably feeding on something in your soil. A few things will help like a baking soda/water spray...or mild diluted peroxide. Not had a problem in a while so someone else might have a better solution. Camomile tea is said to help as well. When you start again with fresh seed, give your start trays a diluted bleach rinse. Cook your soil to sterilize it. I think we all get so confident after years of success, then make mistakes so easily that can turn disastrous. (i knew that potting-up soil last year was odd...turned to cement) Deep breath. You've got time. Just have your trays ready to go as soon as your seeds are in your hands.

April 3, 2016	#5
Starlight Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: AL Posts: 1,993	Once in a while I have this happen from having to much water in the seed cell. I just mix some hydrogen peroxide with water and flush the plant with it and then dry out . Generally the plants go on to do real fine.

April 8, 2016	#10
kameronth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: North Dakota Posts: 111	I use the Jiffy dome's. I always get the white fuzz mold on my popsicle sticks I use to mark the plant name. I've never had any issues and never cleaned the fuzz off.