Mold/mildew/moss? problems(?) in soil...

Jah348

Jah348

Active Member
1-2 weeks ago I recieved these two clones fresh from hydro and placed them into soil. I gave them about a half gallon of just water each, and gave nothing since then. They've been doing pretty well. Healthy green, roots growing like crazy, foliage growing as well. However; a day ago I noticed that I have what I assume to be white powdery mildew growing. I once had something similar on soil in storage, and the owner of our local gardening store told me those were helpful microorganisms of some sort. I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking at, or what to do. Take a look here:

https://imgur.com/a/iD8jJ
 
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hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
Later, when you have problems and when nobody even looks because they figure you have nothing better to do . . . ..
 
Jah348

Jah348

Active Member
How do I know the difference between "good for my soil" white powder, and "oh god we're all going to die" white powdery mildew?
 
hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
Jah348 said:
How do I know the difference between "good for my soil" white powder, and "oh god we're all going to die" white powdery mildew?
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The goodies in the soil stand up - like the rug in the Rolls you pictured.On the soil surface.That fur is in an indication only of what is going on IN your soil that is good. PM is ON your plants like other posters have said and has a powdery appearance,not furry.
 
Jah348

Jah348

Active Member
Well that's good new. I just lost my last harvest to PM and that has made me paranoid.
 
calliandra

calliandra

Well-Known Member
hey guys,
what about this one, are these also mycos or something more evil?

2015-11-19_soil-mold.jpg

This white mold began developing a few days ago under some leaves I'd chopped and dropped.
While I tend to just let my soil do its thing out in the garden (actually I don't tend to look under my mulch at all to see whats going on there), indoor, with me playing Mother Nature and all, I'm getting a bit more cautious and also getting to know the soil ecosystem more "personally" :D

Thing is, I had soil mites who were working like crazy in there, but they jumped ship also a few days ago and died in masses on the closet floor.
Were they running away from this??
 
hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
calliandra said:
hey guys,
what about this one, are these also mycos or something more evil?

View attachment 3546134

This white mold began developing a few days ago under some leaves I'd chopped and dropped.
While I tend to just let my soil do its thing out in the garden (actually I don't tend to look under my mulch at all to see whats going on there), indoor, with me playing Mother Nature and all, I'm getting a bit more cautious and also getting to know the soil ecosystem more "personally" :D

Thing is, I had soil mites who were working like crazy in there, but they jumped ship also a few days ago and died in masses on the closet floor.
Were they running away from this??
Click to expand...
It looks beneficial but I have to ask why you are leaving decaying vegetation in a grow?This is not a good idea.
 
calliandra

calliandra

Well-Known Member
whew thanks @hotrodharley !

hotrodharley said:
why you are leaving decaying vegetation in a grow?
Click to expand...
Because mulch = nutrients for the soil ecosystem.
This is recycled soil I would like to go no-till with :)
So it makes sense to me to keep adding nutrients continuously, in emulation of what happens outdoors.

I have just not mulched any thicker because when I mixed the soil, the 5cm clover-grass mulch I added really put a lid on it - temperature and humidity wise (it really was cooking!) - and in the plastic pot it's in, it went anaerobic on me.
So instead, I'm looking to let some living mulch growing, and yeah, just dropping whatever comes off the plants, as long as it's healthy.

cheers!
 
hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
calliandra said:
whew thanks @hotrodharley !


Because mulch = nutrients for the soil ecosystem.
This is recycled soil I would like to go no-till with :)
So it makes sense to me to keep adding nutrients continuously, in emulation of what happens outdoors.

I have just not mulched any thicker because when I mixed the soil, the 5cm clover-grass mulch I added really put a lid on it - temperature and humidity wise (it really was cooking!) - and in the plastic pot it's in, it went anaerobic on me.
So instead, I'm looking to let some living mulch growing, and yeah, just dropping whatever comes off the plants, as long as it's healthy.

cheers!
Click to expand...
Indoors?Get ready for fungus gnats and other maladies. It's one way plant diseases occur.
 
hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
calliandra said:
:shock: Are you saying this from a no-tiller's point of view?
If so, I'm confused :D
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Outside I do what you are doing. Not inside. Just from my own experiences. The balances nature can provide with bacteria etc depend on a total environment. It is easily disturbed by insecticides and herbicides. Indoors?
 
calliandra

calliandra

Well-Known Member
@hotrodharley well yeah, why not also indoors?
My reasoning is that if there's enough soil mass and it is of good composition and well nurtured over time, an ecosystem can be built there that is healthy and resilient.

This is my first try at it, and I surely have lots to learn!
I've read around alot, amongst others in the ROLS thread over in the organics forum until I passed out (a few times, that thread's a monster lol), and I do believe there was lots of talk about mulching & topdressing. In any case, lots of stuff I was familiar with from how I tend my veggie garden.
So I assumed I could just do my closet plants as I was used to doing outdoors to build a good ecosystem there. Seems to be working, given I have these mycorhizzae and never actually put them in there - hell, I didn't even know how they looked! :D

But I definitely will go check on that in the organics forum :) Thanks for the heads up!
 
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