Fungus and seedlings.

[R.R.]

I started my seeds with organic potting soil and I mixed some stone ground cornmeal to avoid fungus problems. 80% of the times I water them from the bottom, and if I don't have time I'll use a tea spoon to water each cell individually.

Every single day I have to spray them with peroxide because of the white mat they develop overnight. I don't know what to do. The room where the seedling are has the ceiling fan going 24/7. The seedlings seem to be fine, and they are sprouting, but I'd like to pick y'alls brains. Here are some pictures:

 

[Chuck]

I have a theory about this but before I present it I would like to speak first of cornmeal and what it does. Cornmeal acts as a favorite growing medium for fungi, beneficial fungi such as the Trichoderma fungi among others. The fungi shown in the above pics are not Trichoderma. I believe them to be a Saprophytic type of fungus, which means that this fungi feeds on rotting and decaying organic matter and not living plants or seedlings. I have just yesterday discovered this same fungi in my outdoor garden.

My theory is this. The seed starting mix that R.R. used to start her seeds was not composted enough thereby giving the fungi what it needs to multiply. In the first pic that I have posted is a pic of a row that I filled with about 6" of mostly composted organic matter. I did this, IIRC, in November. The rest of the pics are of the same thing that R.R. has shown above. In my first pic when I had finished filling the row with the "compost" I raked about 2 or 3 inches of soil over the top of it. There is none of the fungi on the top of the row. In the following pics the fungi shown are about 6"-8" below the top of the soil, more or less at the bottom of the row.I suggest that as water leeched down through the layer of compost, fungal spores were included and that these spores caused the fungi to form. Exactly as what happened with R.R. The last pic is of an older example that has dried out. Any other thoughts or ideas?

I also do not think that this fungi poses a threat to the seedlings as the seedlings appear to be perfect

 

[R.R.]

My thoughts after reading this is, as long as the seedlings are OK, I'm gonna let the fungus be (not that I have another option)

I would have never thought this could happen outside, too.

 

[IcyBC]

I have never known that we can use cornmeal to control fungus, and this is interesting to learn. The white thing doesn't look great but your seedings sprout and look good. Hopefully over time, the white mat will be gone.

 

[Chuck]

I have never known that we can use cornmeal to control fungus, and this is interesting to learn. The white thing doesn't look great but your seedings sprout and look good. Hopefully over time, the white mat will be gone.

Not just any cornmeal. The enriched Aunt Jemima type of cornmeal is useless. It must be whole ground or stone ground not enriched. It can also be found under horticultural cornmeal.