White fuzz on my soil?

[AlexTrebek]

Hi I had to ask this question because my efforts using Search were unconclusive.

I amended 50gals of soil a week ago, I would turn it with a little rake every day. For the last 3 days i didnt check up on it, when i opened the lid there were little balls of white fuzz spread all along the top of my dirt. This has happened to me before with less dirt but I threw it out that time.

My questions are:

What is this white fuzz? (what kind of spore or fungie is it?)

Is it attributed to bad ventilation in my soil box? (I had only a few holes for air exchange)

Is my soil tainted or should i just scrape off all the fuzz from the top and prevent it from happening in the future? (does it even matter if i mix it back into the soil?)

What are ways to prevent soil from contamination in the future?

Thanks to all those helpfull growers that help ICmag thrive!

 

[Brother Bear]

Your good, mix back in, leave lid cracked for fresh air exchange

 

[Hammerhead]

it's fine common mold. soil is wet and not enough ventilation

 

[AlexTrebek]

Oh alright thanks for the quick response guys.
I had a feeling it was negligeable but I wanted to make sure this time before I mixed it back in.

I once gave tainted compost tea to some girls and felt like an idiot for not looking on the forums beforehand, "if you ACT smells rotten, don't use it!".

Live long and prosper ICmag!

 

[schwilly]

fuzz is your friend

any rice in your soil mix? that would explain it being concentrated in balls.

 

[Iron_Lion]

 

[AlexTrebek]

@Schwilly - No I don't use rice in my medium, i think the clumps of pro-mix must've caused it.

@Iron_Lion - I sure hope it's alive, I killed any microbiological stuff when I decided to store it outside, in the -15C temps /facepalm.

It's been 10 days since amending, could I give this stuff some compost tea or something before I give it to the girls in 1-2 weeks?

 

[Bullfrog44]

Yes, it is optimal to water with ACT while your soil cooks. This is what I have been doing. Just don't let it get too wet, we can't let our mix starve of oxygen.

 

[GeneMaxo]

Dog ear mold slime? Or something like that. My Jade plants get it from time to time. I would really only worry if the trunks of the plant are soft and nasty looking. Sure I am talking jades here, but it should apply to most plants. I havn't really experienced this with bud, but i stopped using organics until my new grow 250w grow box is done.

 

[joe fresh]

my guess would be if you used promix with myco then maybe its the myco's....ive often bought bags of promix w/mycorhizae and as i unravel the bag there is white patches that resemble mold, but thats just the myco

 

[stihgnobevoli]

some anaerobic bacteria or something. what everyone said already pretty much, more air exchange.

 

[mad librettist]

as i unravel the bag there is white patches that resemble mold, but thats just the myco

that's not mycorrhizae.

 

[joe fresh]

that's not mycorrhizae.

really? i always assumed it was...figuring that i only get it in promix myco and not in reg promix....

 

[mad librettist]

really? i always assumed it was...figuring that i only get it in promix myco and not in reg promix....

could be white rot, actinomycetes, etc.... but not mycorrhizal. mycorrhizae grow on/in/around living roots. when you look for them outside you look for the host plant.

 

[joe fresh]

could be white rot, actinomycetes, etc.... but not mycorrhizal. mycorrhizae grow on/in/around living roots. when you look for them outside you look for the host plant.

ys but when you buy myco it comes in a white powder form...so if they mix in promix at the company then bag/compact it into bales dry(not pre-moistened), so i figured it was just the dry powdered myco...

 

[mad librettist]

how many spores does the bag claim to contain?


my myco additive looks more like dirty fine perlite and peat. I use myke for trees, because it has as many glomus spores as the myke for veggies.

 

[joe fresh]

couldnt tell you havent bought it in a few, i get the regular stuff now, only access to that in the summer at local nursury

 

[lost in a sea]

could be plaster mold

Scopulariopsis fimicola, anamorphic

whatever mold it is, its unlikely it will do your plants any major harm,, just a sign that certain stickier areas of the soil became slightly anaerobic for long enough and some of the nutrients will have been consumed in those areas,,

 

[Hammerhead]

I have had this a few times. Mixing up a fresh batch and left the lid on it. It's really no big deal. Just mix up the soil make sure you have adequate ventilation

 

[AlexTrebek]

Thanks for all the help from all posters!
I'll brew up some dirt/molasses/fish emulsion ACT and give this earth bin a new lease on life