Fluffy Fungus thing Like on my Soil

[OROZCONLECHE]

I Just found some weird fluffy thing on my plants soil, It looks like cotton and hairy, I think its some kind of fungus, I'm not sure if its harmful or not, (to the Plant) Once I touch it or rub it, it comes off, why is this caused and how can I keep my plants of em, Here are some pictures of the structure by my window and the fluffy thing,(camera sucks cant get closer) [img]https://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u135/victororozco/2011-12-20210346.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u135/victororozco/2011-12-20210418.jpg[/img]

[OROZCONLECHE]

CTRL [ + ] will get the screen Bigger and the Picture

[Kisal]

It's mold. IMO, it grew because of a lack if air circulation, resulting from the container being covered with plastic wrap. Once your seeds have sprouted, it's a good idea to remove any covering you may have used on the container.

Other conditions that can lead to mold growth are soil that is too damp and cool temperatures.

HTH!

[OROZCONLECHE]

Then a fan and sone heat should be, but is this harmful?

[Kisal]

I always put a heating pad set on low under my containers of seeds and young plants. I also found that the heater from my son's old water bed worked well. There are actually warming mats made especially for the purpose, which can be purchased.

Many people use small fans to increase the air circulation around their plants. I've never found it necessary, but I imagine it works well. I just kept my containers uncovered after the seeds sprouted. You may have to provide a humidity tray or periodic misting, if the air in your home is dry.

[OROZCONLECHE]

Well I thought of getting heat mats but they aren't on my price range I'm pretty broke and fans I could install but for now only an open window

[rainbowgardener]

I use regular heat pad from the drugstore, made for people, under my plant trays. (but watch out for the ones with automatic cut off timer, you don't want that). They are pretty cheap and mine have lasted for at least ten years, so you will get your money's worth from them!

But short of that just taking the plastic wrap off and providing some air circulation will help. Your little seedlings will die in that kind of humid, no air circulation environment. There's a fungal disease called damping off, that little seedlings are very vulnerable to that thrives in those conditions.

[OROZCONLECHE]

What will the heating pads of the drugstores be called?

[rainbowgardener]

This is the kind of thing I'm talking about:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Graham-Field-Electric-Moist-Heat-Heating-Pad/17437957

The blue is a cover, which keeps the pad from getting wet. It's very simple, has high/med/low settings and nothing else (no auto shut off).

I run mine 24/7 for several months each year, which I'm sure is not what the people who designed this had in mind, but they have lasted forever.

You can actually get a seedling propagation mat, designed for the purpose, for a similar price:

https://www.greenhousemegastore.com/product/seedling-propagation-mat/seed-starting-equipment

You will also find supposedly fancier versions for two or three times the price. Don't bother!

[Tilde]

not sure if the drugstores sell them w/o auto cutoff anymore, safety regs, you know.

[Tilde]

Would a heated lap blanket get hot enough? Might compensate with larger surface area, wrap 'around' and 'up' the potted area a bit. Not sure about the cutoffs.

Not sure when the cutoff regs kicked in, I have one with cutoff and one without for heated pads. I don't own a heated lap blanket.

[OROZCONLECHE]

Is there a way to male one at home?

[Tilde]

I don't know the policy about linking blogs here that might be competitors but I just read one about a guy who had traditional rope holiday lights (basically NON LED holiday lights in tubes) that he laid out on a board the right size for a heat mat - did a bit of a wiggly snake with the tubes and put wood between the wiggles to take the weight of the potting dishes ...

google image search: "diy rope light heating mat"

[rainbowgardener]

The one I linked to at the WM site does not appear to have auto cut off.

[OROZCONLECHE]

That sounds like a good Idea, but I tryed it and the lights did no heat, I'm using the original lights and some color ones, ive never seen any Led xmas lights, that would be too nice for my house

[Tilde]

Sorry rainbow, I missed it, was only thinking drugstore but then I live in the land of snowbirds so it makes sense they'd stock only auto-shutoff ones.

OROZCONLECHE - LEDs are much smaller and more expensive - the rope lights used in the DIY projects were the "old" more in expensive kind.