Could that white stuff be perlite? What kind of potting mix did you use?

The rain has finally stopped for a time being here, FINALLY!! Grr, a lot of water and a lot of green as in algae everywhere, yuck. I took off all of my lids yesterday, since it doesn't look like we are going to be dipping below 40 any time soon.

I notice several of my containers would get the white also, sometimes I notice it right before they germinate. As far as growing on the soil I am not exactly sure. I would try to open your containers up a little more. If your weather isn't stable enough to take the lids off completely maybe just cut some more ventilation holes in your containers.

Bad part about taking the lid completely off and having a lot of rain is that the rain will sometimes crush those tiny seedlings. I have been dealing with that a lot over here and lost more to the rain than I have the freezes.

Pippi - I used Miracle Grow Potting mix and Pro-mix.

Carolyn - it was cold and dry last night. Tonight will be 16, today early 40's. For the rest of the week, early 40's during the day, mid to late 20's at night.

I wonder if I remove the covers during the day, then shelter them at night if that could work?

I can't tell if the morning glory and 4 o'clocks have molded or what.

I would wait then, that is just me though. We had another cold spell come in last week. I just gritted my teeth and bared it. Some made it some didn't but it wasn't due to the cold it was from all of the heavy rain.

If the white stuff is some kind of mold or fungus, a little spray with chamomile won't hurt, might help.

Karen

I'm stumbling on "It appears there is too much water in the containers. There is more than adequate drainage"....the two don't go together :)

We've had one dry day in the last 23 here, I wouldn't be adding water but I don't have anything too soggy either. A little moss and liverwort (hate that stuff) beginning on a few that have been sown since Fall but no algae or mold/mildew. Are you sure about the drainage holes?

If you had a way of letting more ventilation in it would probably take care of the white fuzzies. I'd open them up more if mine, but I've only dealt with the over night temps you say you are having 3 times this season and only for a few nights in a row each time...pots were covered just for the duration of those cold fronts/storms. My climate doesn't lend itself to having to deal with the hard overnight freezes as a nightly routine, but I do know the white fuzz means moisture and no air movement.

Does the white stuff look like fuzz? Tiny webs? You're sure it's not frost? Consider damping off as a possibility. I had some last year, in my Organic Miracle-Grow Potting Mix, and someone (forget who, sorry!) suggested spraying with ordinary hydrogen peroxide from the pharmacy (3% solution). Some people dilute it with tap water, half and half. I found peroxide at Wal-Mart that came in a spray bottle and used it straight. It worked. The fallen seedlings were goners but I was able to save some seedlings.

Edie

I think you're right Morz8. Even though I poked many holes in these containers, for some reason they are holding too much water.

It does look like white fuzz. I am going to try opening them up for a little while today, and maybe just put a large piece of plastic over the containers for the evening.

Thanks everyone for your input.

gardenunusual - good luck and please post here with progress/outcome. I've never seen anything other than algae growing on the surface of the growing medium in my containers but it's good to know what to do should it happen.

Fingers, toes & eyes crossed wishing you success!

Mix one part (reasonably fresh) 3% hydrogen peroxide with three parts water and mist over the white stuff, which is probably the damping-off fungus. The ones that are affected won't survive, but maybe the later sprouters will.

Poking holes in plastic containers just doesn't do very well -- as soon as you remove the 'poker', the little flaps you made close right up again.

Buy a cheap $7 pencil-type soldering iron (Harbor Freight has them cheap) and use it to BURN/MELT holes in your plastic containers. (Do it outdoors, it really STINKS!)

Sue

White fuzz does like to grow on peat moss when it is damp. The soil mix probably had a good percentage of peat moss in it. It will not kill anything like fungus of other colors will. It is a good indicator that it is pretty moist though and other bad fungus could come a long to have a party if it stays too wet.
Remy

Thanks everyone. Crossing my fingers!

I checked on them, and it seems like it disappeared. When I went past our tree in the front yard to pick up my son's bike that had been frozen in the snow all winter, looking at the base of the tree, where the snow had melted, looked like the same thing.

Here's a theory. The soil on the top is warmed by the sun, the soil underneath is still frozen. When the two meet, could it be some type of interesting looking frost?