mold in bags of coco

[bilbobonger]

Just opened some new bags of coco (Royal Gold), and there's what looks like black mold inside, little bit of white here and there as well. Bags were wet on the outside when I picked em up about a week or so ago. Must of got left in the rain.

Anyone experienced this before? Should I bring em back to the store for an exchange?

 

[Harry Gypsna]

I know someone who runs a growshop, in heavy rain the drains in the shop yard would overflow and flood into the shop. I once spent 5 minutes assisting him in sandbagging the door inside and out with bags of Canna Coco.
Needless to say-I will never buy coco from my mate LOL.

I would at least try to take it back to where you got it if I was you.

 

[bilbobonger]

Thanks Harry Gypsna, will do. Some are worse than others. Kinda looks like glossy blackish flat bits that were up against the inside of the bags with little black spores throughout. White bits here and there as well. Right in the middle of transplanting and the store's closing up early today

 

[1and1]

Return that shit, buy your coco somewhere else.

 

[FlowerFarmer]

Depends on what it is really.

Its common for cocos and similar soils to have many types of fungi growing throughout it. White/gray/green mold looking stuff shouldn't be of any concern and is likely Penicillium and/or other bacteria or fungi which will not negatively effect your medium.

Not so sure about black spores....again likely just some type of species of bacteria.

I doubt it will effect your medium in any way. You could always water with a sterilizing product such as dutchmaster zone or gh flora-shield if you'd like to run your coco sterile without any fungi or bacteria.

I personally wouldn't sweat it. Bacteria and spores are all over this world.. if you get new coco your just going to drench it in water anyways where spores would then be able to colonize your new stuff as well.

 

[bilbobonger]

Yeah, not sure I wanna take any chances. Got a lot invested here. Would hate to fuq things up over some funky coco. Just pisses me off I gotta haul all this shit back to the store in the trunk of my car. 11 bags worth.

Thanks for the responses.

 

[TheCatsMeow]

Yeah, not sure I wanna take any chances. Got a lot invested here. Would hate to fuq things up over some funky coco. Just pisses me off I gotta haul all this shit back to the store in the trunk of my car. 11 bags worth.

Thanks for the responses.

ouch... id be pissed

 

[paper thorn]

I had a block of coco full of mold, smelled up the whole office when i opened it up. i threw it out, too far to go back to the store.

 

[Guido Sarducci]

Depends on what it is really.

Its common for cocos and similar soils to have many types of fungi growing throughout it. White/gray/green mold looking stuff shouldn't be of any concern and is likely Penicillium and/or other bacteria or fungi which will not negatively effect your medium.

Not so sure about black spores....again likely just some type of species of bacteria.

I doubt it will effect your medium in any way. You could always water with a sterilizing product such as dutchmaster zone or gh flora-shield if you'd like to run your coco sterile without any fungi or bacteria.

I personally wouldn't sweat it. Bacteria and spores are all over this world.. if you get new coco your just going to drench it in water anyways where spores would then be able to colonize your new stuff as well.

And what we have learned from that post, boys and girls, is that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Quality coco shouldn't have "many types of fungi growing throughout it. White/gray/green mold looking stuff" in it. That is definitely not "common". Even coco that has had beneficial bacteria/fungi (Mycos, for example) added during processing will appear clean and contamination-free.

Take it back, show the store manager and either get a refund or demand he replace it with a non-contaminated product.

 

[FlowerFarmer]

I'm just saying what I've experienced.. its likely not going to do any harm.

I've been using ataim bcuzz coco for years and it can commonly have a greyish tinge to it if viewing the bag before mixing it up. Its not harmful in the least bit and the manufacturer states the same.

The majority of the coco in this industry comes from the same place and is either shipped over already flushed /bagged or its coming over via compressed block and is being rinsed (expanded) /bagged by small companies. Thats it.. not much more to it then that.

Any type of mold/bacteria is likely to contaminate the bag...but in my experience the plants wont care.

Do you think companies are steaming and sterilizing their coco? I know the major brands in the industry sure are not. Shit works.. who cares.

OP, ....I say just use the stuff. mycor and enzymes would have the roots exploding in growth in a matter of days regardless of what little black/grey whatever specs might have been observed in your bag before mixing. Where the black spots you witnessed just on the inside of the plastic bag? And the white a film on the coco itself?


By all means play it safe and return if you get some serious funky stuff.. but a little white in my coco with perhaps a few black specs on the inner bag itself has never been a concern.

 

[Guido Sarducci]

Are you saying Atami states "a greyish tinge" is common in their product and actually prints this on their retail bags of coco? I've never heard that one before...

My partner and I have been exporting South East Asian coco products--coir, fiber, chunk and pith--to European and American resellers for three years. We maintain strict quality-control measures which include several (proprietary) treatment methods to ensure our products arrive in a pathogen-free condition. If the shipment is contaminated we don't get paid. Simple as that.

Once the reseller takes delivery they are free to treat the product as they wish and I'm convinced it's at this stage that some of the various contamination problems occur.

Having said that, some point-of-origin wholesalers ship huge amounts of mediocre quality coco products that it's beyond my comprehension how it can be economically processed/treated and still be profitable for resale. That's another part of the equation.

The point I'm trying to make is the end-buyer shouldn't settle for anything less than 100% clean, pure coco product. No bugs, no germs and no excuses...

 

[FlowerFarmer]

Its not printed on their bag, but I've inquired Atami directly regarding what I can only describe as a whiteish/greyish skim across their coco - fresh bags before I stick my arms down in them and mix it up. I don't remember their scientific explanation but it pertained to it being completely harmless.. something along the lines of bacteria or something. Penicillium comes to mind as one of the words they might have said, but again I'm not 100% sure. This was 3-4 years ago when I originally inquired about this.

This coco comes into the US already bagged (wrapped in plastic/unable to breath well) however I know other business in the US who are bringing in compressed blocks (nasty fumigated stuff) and there is little involved in bagging it and putting it up for reseal. I cant speak for all..but most (a lot of the brands your seeing in grow shops) simply rinse w/lime (expand) with rainwater/clean municipal and mix & bag it up. Thats it.. I highly doubt anyone flipping coco is sterilizing it in any way what so ever. Some might amend to their preference with mycor and/or other goodies, but nothing to prevent bacteria/spores from "contaminating" the medium. Maybe issues are arising from those not bagging in breathable bags or bagging while too wet...not sure..havnt experienced any issues.

I hear ya though - not arguing... by all means if a person is uncomfortable using what they've purchased they should take it back for replacement. The OP has 11 bags of coco all displaying the same thing. Now I'm not experienced with Royal gold coco, but what he describes sounds like stuff Ive encountered in both straight coco and happy frog which contains mycor. I can see how this can be perceived by a person as being "mold", but in my experience none of it is a big deal - perhaps beneficial as my roots seem to love the stuff right out of the bag... This thread doesn't contain pictures of said mold so I am only stating my experience.

All I'm saying that is if the stuff works.. who cares what fungi might be in it. I'm sure not one to haul 11 bags back to the shop and give the guy a hard time about some specs in my medium. Maybe I'm crazy but I have a good relationship with my local shop and wont be one of those guys complaining that "this smells funny" and "there are floaties in my carbs" because despite all of that.. the stuff works great. I've been behind these customers in line and it drives me crazy. I'll typically buy what they just returned just so the shop guys dont have to deal with the headache of returning perfectly usable product.

Call me crazy..but this is gardening and I dont think it needs to be as particular as some folks take it. Plants love nasty shit...its how they operate and "eat" in nature... lol.most of my friends rurally just toss their used coco outside..let it sit and rinse with rain..mix it a few times and re-use the stuff. I'm sure its loaded with all kinds of living stuff.

But in all seriousness the customer is the one spending the buck so if one is uncomfortable with their purchase they should not use it and seek the resolution.


All in my opinion of course.

 

[Guido Sarducci]

Of course you're entitled to your opinion. Everybody has one...

But:

"Its not printed on their bag, but I've inquired Atami directly regarding what I can only describe as a whiteish/greyish skim across their coco - fresh bags before I stick my arms down in them and mix it up. I don't remember their scientific explanation but it pertained to it being completely harmless.. something along the lines of bacteria or something. Penicillium comes to mind as one of the words they might have said, but again I'm not 100% sure. This was 3-4 years ago when I originally inquired about this."

My opinion of that ^^^ is you need to buy some new batteries for your bullshitometer.

bilbonger: whatever happened with your coco?

 

[FlowerFarmer]

Of course you're entitled to your opinion. Everybody has one...

But:

"Its not printed on their bag, but I've inquired Atami directly regarding what I can only describe as a whiteish/greyish skim across their coco - fresh bags before I stick my arms down in them and mix it up. I don't remember their scientific explanation but it pertained to it being completely harmless.. something along the lines of bacteria or something. Penicillium comes to mind as one of the words they might have said, but again I'm not 100% sure. This was 3-4 years ago when I originally inquired about this."

My opinion of that ^^^ is you need to buy some new batteries for your bullshitometer.

bilbonger: whatever happened with your coco?

You can call bullshit if you'd like. I called atami several years ago and they had a response for me. I dont remember the specifics, but they said it was harmless. You dont need to take my word for it.. I could care less.

**
Aspergillus niger sp, Strptomyces sp ,Penicillium sp ,Trichoderma sp and Bacillus sp were found to be the native microflora in the raw coir pith and well composted coir pith.
**

Maybe instead of making comments that I'm bullshitting you could simply inquire yourself. Maybe that would be the more constructive approach?

http://www.atami.ca/america/company/contactus.html

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[bilbobonger]

bilbonger: whatever happened with your coco?

Still waiting on the shop here. Draggin ass. Plants are gonna hit the fuqin ceiling if it takes much longer. Gonna give em a ring here in a few and see what's up.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

Black mold definitely messed up my memory and brain function while I was living in a house with it. I had pneumonia symptoms for 17 weeks straight and it nearly killed me. Not sure which particular variety I was exposed to but it's nothing to mess with. When you realize you've stopped flushing the toilet and leave every cupboard in the house open.... you know you've got a BIG problem in your house.

Get rid of it and keep as many spores IN the bags as possible... until they're out of your house, vehicles and within range of anything you own. Nasty... just nasty.

Stay Safe!

p.s. I consider black mold to be biological warfare. It's really that bad when it gets out of control.