Mold on top of soil

TerpsNThyme

TerpsNThyme

Well-Known Member
Happy Growing 420’ers

I went in today to start setting up for my next grow and when I opened one of my tough totes with Coast of Maine seed starter in it I noticed lots of moisture in the bin and fuzzy mold growing on the soil. I didn’t get a chance to grab a pic. Is the soil still good to use or should I toss it. I have it sitting out in the sun now. Thanks in advance for any advice and happy growing
 
Don't think it's anything to worry about, I often see fine white fuzz in compost for the garden
Does suggest it's a bit too wet though so drying it out in the sun is probably a good idea
 
Most of the time anything that looks like mold on or in the soil is beneficial. Think along the lines of mycorrhizae or a Mycorrhizal Fungus which are part of the circle of life. They are a type of fungus that will spread through the soil and form a partnership with the plants. The fungus will end up growing in with the roots of the plants allow them to take up more water and nutrients and the plants will give off carbohydrates that are made as part of the photosynthesis process.

Kind of a "scratch my back and I will scratch yours" type of relationship.

Most of the time we do not notice this fungus on the surface because air flow and light keep the top layer dry enough. Having the lid on the tote box let the surface stay moist enough. Maybe try taking the lid off for a day a week and see to see what happens. But, for the most part I accept that it is there and do not worry about it. Most of the time it is present in the soil but we never see it.
 
SmokingWings said:
Most of the time anything that looks like mold on or in the soil is beneficial. Think along the lines of mycorrhizae or a Mycorrhizal Fungus which are part of the circle of life. They are a type of fungus that will spread through the soil and form a partnership with the plants. The fungus will end up growing in with the roots of the plants allow them to take up more water and nutrients and the plants will give off carbohydrates that are made as part of the photosynthesis process.

Kind of a "scratch my back and I will scratch yours" type of relationship.

Most of the time we do not notice this fungus on the surface because air flow and light keep the top layer dry enough. Having the lid on the tote box let the surface stay moist enough. Maybe try taking the lid off for a day a week and see to see what happens. But, for the most part I accept that it is there and do not worry about it. Most of the time it is present in the soil but we never see it.
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Thanks for the response. This makes perfect sense
 
Did it look like this?

IMG_5326.jpeg
IMG_5325.jpeg


This is very common and usually is an indication that life is booming, and the environment is a bit moist. You usually see it when you mix EWC into a soil with myco or when you’ve got a bag with myco in it and it has been closed for a bit.

It only becomes concerning if it’s green or some other non white color
 
Keffka said:
Did it look like this?
IMG_5326.jpeg
IMG_5325.jpeg


This is very common and usually is an indication that life is booming, and the environment is a bit moist. You usually see it when you mix EWC into a soil with myco or when you’ve got a bag with myco in it and it has been closed for a bit.

It only becomes concerning if it’s green or some other non white color
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Yea this is exactly what it looked like. And a few gnats
 
TerpsNThyme said:
Yea this is exactly what it looked like. And a few gnats
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Yeah gnats are super common in commercial soils. It’s a bonus if you bring a bag home and it doesn’t have FG. I’ve yet to see that happen though.

I prep my soil a couple months ahead of time. I will use water with bti in it if it’s a new bag from the store during these couple months and it knocks them out.

Or you can just let the entire volume of soil dry out for a week or two before planting. I don’t like this because I like to get the life going before I plant
 
Keffka said:
It only becomes concerning if it’s green or some other non white color
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Even the times I have seen molds or fungus of non-white colors growing on soil I have not noticed it having any effect on nearby plants. Think of the people involved with the mushroom sub-forums here. It is the molds and mildews that start growing on the plant leaves that should be of concern.
 
SmokingWings said:
Even the times I have seen molds or fungus of non-white colors growing on soil I have not noticed it having any effect on nearby plants. Think of the people involved with the mushroom sub-forums here. It is the molds and mildews that start growing on the plant leaves that should be of concern.
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Agreed in a regular garden situation. I was thinking containers indoors. Seeing non white fungi and molds are typically a sign you’ve got too much moisture in the environment which can lead to worse issues down the road

In a garden/yard/outdoor situation, as long as everyone is healthy and strong I don’t mind molds and fungi, oftentimes it’s the soil/environment regulating itself.
 
Keffka said:
Agreed in a regular garden situation. I was thinking containers indoors. Seeing non white fungi and molds are typically a sign you’ve got too much moisture in the environment which can lead to worse issues down the road
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Even indoors any off white mold or fungul looking growth on top of the soil does not bother me. I even had some of those small yellow mushrooms, about the size of 1/4 of a pencil eraser, show up growing out of the drain holes on the side of the 5 gallon pot right at the very bottom. I thought "ain't those cute". It told me that even though I rarely water to any run-off I was seeing proof that the soil was moist all the way to the bottom of the pot. The tiny 'shrooms' died off a couple of weeks later.

As long as the soil does not smell like rot as in rotting vegetation in a swamp it should be OK. If the soil smells like a freshly turned garden soil I accept what is happening when I see what looks like mold/fungus on the soil.

I think too many of us get caught up in the "it looks like mold, it is the end of the world" thinking and forget about the circle of life taking place before us when we grow in a compost or organic materials based soil.
 
SmokingWings said:
Even indoors any off white mold or fungul looking growth on top of the soil does not bother me. I even had some of those small yellow mushrooms, about the size of 1/4 of a pencil eraser, show up growing out of the drain holes on the side of the 5 gallon pot right at the very bottom. I thought "ain't those cute". It told me that even though I rarely water to any run-off I was seeing proof that the soil was moist all the way to the bottom of the pot. The tiny 'shrooms' died off a couple of weeks later.

As long as the soil does not smell like rot as in rotting vegetation in a swamp it should be OK. If the soil smells like a freshly turned garden soil I accept what is happening when I see what looks like mold/fungus on the soil.

I think too many of us get caught up in the "it looks like mold, it is the end of the world" thinking and forget about the circle of life taking place before us when we grow in a compost or organic materials based soil.
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I agree with this if you’re growing in an organic soil or a compost based soil, especially one you’ve worked yourself. I would hesitate if it’s a commercial soil. The last time I had off white colored mold in a commercial soil it turned out to be fungus gnat eggs discolored by the “aged forest Products” that hadn’t really aged. (Cough cough sawdust)

I think you touched on the most important aspect though.. If it smells earthy and fresh you’re likely good to go. If it smells rotten or decaying, something is up. Even when my soil is in the middle of its decomposing stage it still always smells fresh and earthy
 
Keffka said:
the “aged forest Products” that hadn’t really aged.
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The bagged soil companies call it aged instead of what it really is, "composted". And most likely saying "forest products" sounds better than saying "wood chips, scraps and sawdust".

I had been thinking that there is no way these companies are buying the rights to strip the true "aged forest products" off the top 2 feet or so of the forest floor whether state or national forests. And the price to strip it off from private property wood lots and forests would cost a bit more than a small fortune. So I started reading up on what it was. More research and I found out how it was being made. And more links later I started to find the companies that are doing this sort of mass composting. Then came how they mix the stuff and what they use.

I am now into my second year of making my own "Aged Urban Tree Products" also known as "composted urban tree trimming scraps" and seeing how well the stuff works.
 
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