Update: It's been 2 weeks since I put the plants in this container garden. They are thriving, and I am going to start cutting leaves for fresh salads.
The unit is self watering with a 3 gallon reservoir on the bottom. When I first put the plants in, they said to wet all the soil well, so the "wicking" process starts from the reservoir; however, since the top of the soil was wet for a few days, I noticed that fluffy white mold started growing on the soil...probably because I didn't use sterilized potting soil but a mixture that included a very generous amount of our compost. I let the top dry out and the mold died and just about disappeared. The plant roots are long enough to take advantage of the bottom watering.
Now, the other day I decided to add a couple other varieties of spinach and lettuce along with some basil and dill. Since I planted seeds, I have to keep the top moist. Well, the white mold is back on the surface, and I am afraid of the new seedlings suffering from damping off disease when they start to grow....not to mention breathing in mold spores is not healthy either. And, even if they survive, I will need to water them from the top until they establish longer roots and can take advantage of the water wicking up into the soil.
I did some reading and learned that house plants are prone to white mold on the soil surface because of lack of good air circulation and/or not using a sterilized potting soil. I've always used sterilized potting soil for regular house plants and never remember getting soil mold, but wanted to use our black gold compost for these plants. From what I found, most articles suggest he most natural "remedy" is to use powered cinnamon sprinkled on the soil or a mixture of steeped cinnamon or cinnamon oil and water in a sprayer. They say that will keep the mold in check and not hurt the plants. Has anyone here ever tried this with house plants...which can be prone to mold on the top of the soil?
