Eggs in my SOIL!? PLEASE HELP ASAP

[LumpyStatus]

Posted some pictures below of what we are talking about here. It looks like tons of tiny little eggs under a "web like" material on the outside of my soil. WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS? If this is insect eggs, I need to get rid of this shit ASAP because my lady will kill me if they hatch. PLEASE RESPOND ASAP. Almost all my plants have this and it looks like mold with eggs under it. VERY hard to capture in the images, but one of them you can sort of see the egg shapes (round). There are TONS OF THEM.

[nuggdigger]

that first pic is pretty good...
i don't think they are eggs..
but if they are they are probably not viable as they look mold covered or something,
mold is the first thing to mind..or some kind of miccorzial form..etc
is this an isolated spot..or is it all like this all over?
if it really bothers you you could scoop it out..lol..have a better look
if its mold, its just on top of the media, where the light can get at it.

peace

[LumpyStatus]

Well, it is in quite a few spots in each pot. Guess I shouldn't be using WHITE pots? I think all the plants have it. How can I be sure it is not eggs because they REALLY look like it. When you see them up close, they are behind the mold and in clusters. Very strange. Anyhow, even if it is just mold, is this not a bad thing?

[Lungus]

Quote:

Anyhow, even if it is just mold, is this not a bad thing?

No, not necessarily. My organic mix soil always gets fungal fuzz all over the top while I let it brew before putting plants in it. This is telling me my microorganism population is happy.

[nuggdigger]

Do you think,if those were eggs, they could ever 'pop' with all that white-fuzzy stuff on them?
Because there are so many different types of fungi it is difficult to know how to fight an outbreak. Mold propagates by spreading of spores, which travel through the air, unsterilized potting medium, and water.Mold spores are everywhere, and can grow on almost any organic material, so, mold can considered a sign of organic activity at the root zone. Not all molds are harmful to plants, but they can compete with the plants' roots for air.
You can carefully remove and replace the top inch of soil from the pot, or you could consider repotting. If it is in the dormant stage, allow the soil to become quite dry, then brush off the spores, working outdoors and (if possible) with a fan blowing the spores away. Some varieties of mold are toxic to humans, so please use great care. Wearing rubber gloves and a dust mask are not unreasonable precautions.
How to combat mold?
There are fungicides on the market that will kill the mold, check with your local nursery or garden center for an appropriate one, and use only according to directions. I also would think you could use a diluted solution of bleach or h2o2 on the infected areas to kill it back some in mild cases. To help prevent a repeat occurrence, move the plant to brighter light, make sure not to overwater to much, maintain moderate temperature and humidity, and provide good air circulation. Tilling the top inch of your media on a regular basis a good way to improve aeration and break up compaction.
and about those white pots?..the rule of thumb is not to use any transparent or translucent material..no light to the root zone..etc.

peace

[LumpyStatus]

Will cutting off the light kill the mold? Because they do NOT have ANY mold at all on the top of the soil, only on the sides and the BOTTOM, the bottom where there is NO or very little light. I would think that the mold would be on the top instead of on the sides and the bottom right?

[nuggdigger]

i find mold tends to grow in wetter areas..imo the top would of course be the driest, followed by the middle..then the bottom, being the wettest. For example, growing vertical, my lower sites always had more mold then the upper sites. Water runs down hill, still. I think that killing the light will impair the mold some. Of course we must realize the mold is like a microscopic filament, all through the media, growing where it can. I can say that light to roots is not a good thing.
As long as your plants are 'happy' then their needs are being satisfied,that is what really matters, regardless or the white stuff on the dirt, or the cloudy water in the rez. Mother nature is far from a 'sterile lab scenerio' yet wins everytime. Perhaps we need to learn to stop fighting her ways, and embrace her, and she will share some of her benefits with us

peace

[LumpyStatus]

I understand what you are saying, but I just want to be sure this is not something dangerous that I should worry about. I spend time in there and my lady will sometimes be at my side, and I want to be sure this isn't something that is going to make us sick in any way.

As for the cloudy res water. It isn't the clouding that I am really worried about, but the fact that when the cloudiness comes, smells come, when smells come, an unhappy wife comes. I just want to be able to grow some plants without all these issues.

Like I said, I used to grow some time ago and had none of these problems in the hydro and the dirt. Don't know what has changed, but I can't seem to get it right anymore.

[ghostryder]

just use some sulphur dust. if it is eggs or fungi/mold, then this will kill it and its good for the plant as well