What am I doing wrong??

[MisterGribs]

I have been trying for a number of months to plant and grow tender shoots for my finches to eat from their seed. Since my indoor trees are near their dish, I have to weed the seedgrass growing from there, which they enjoy as a treat.

But

Every time I attempt to grow a trayful of these little seed shoots, they get moldy! The grass itself survives happily, but I cannot feed mold-contaminated greens to my birds. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Any suggestions?

[w.l.]

Hard to tell without seeing your ser-up, but it sounds thst they are not getting enough fresh air.

The way I sprout seeds is soaking them in water for 24 hours, rinsing them, then spreading them in one layer on the bottom of a flat plastic tray overnight, with the cover having ca 1 cm wide gaps around the corners. This works fine to me, by morning the seeds sprout ca 1 mm long shoots and smell kind of sweet.

[lovezebs]

MisterGribs

Let's see if I have pictures here.....

I poke holes in the clear plastic cover with a fork, so that I don't get too much humidity building up. Once I see even a hint of green, I take the plastic off, and place the trays in the sun, misting them several times a day (you want it moist, but not soppy wet). They grow like crazy.

Good luck.

[DamonIRB]

The white fluffy stuff is usually a type of fungus, not much different from mushroom mycelium, not mold. Still... probably best not to feed it to your kids!

A fan at a low setting might be your best friend. Fungus like this usually can't get started with moving air. It might be something in your water as well, so it might be a good idea to boil it first, and let it cool to room temp before using. Some will argue that using boiled water is bad for plants, but that is a myth; the only thing boiling will do is kill bacteria and eliminate the minerals in the water. Sprouts and seedlings don't need those minerals, and even if you let these plants grow beyond the seedling stage, there are plenty of minerals in the soil.

Good luck!
D

[w.l.]

A fan???
Sure there would be no mould, but the seeds would just dry out as well and never sprout.
They need to be kept wet in a humid place, just at the right level of humidity and fresh air.

[DamonIRB]

A fan???
Sure there would be no mould, but the seeds would just dry out as well and never sprout.
They need to be kept wet in a humid place, just at the right level of humidity and fresh air.

Yep, a fan. On a low setting. You're not trying to blow them away... just keep the air around them moving. You're exactly correct -
they need humidity and fresh air. Stagnant air is the problem and it will contribute to the growth of fungus faster than anything, especially when it comes to seed starting.

Every reputable nursery I've been too has huge fans in every corner of the greenhouses they use for seed starting. It's the best way to prevent fungus issues.

D

[w.l.]

Well, that's in a greenhouse where the temperature and humidity is constantly high in the whole room.
I don't think conditions in a house in Finland are quite the same.
Based on my experience, enough fresh air can get to the sprouting seeds by providing enough openings on the cover bit.

My set up - I guess as simple as they come:

FB_IMG_1496273549352.jpg

But it works:

FB_IMG_1496273553237.jpg

[lovezebs]

w.l.

Your seeds sprout amazingly quick with the heat and humidity over there.

Here in Calgary, it is so dry, that I constantly have to mist them to keep them moist. Even with the sheet of plastic covering them, they still dry very rapidly.

[w.l.]

lovezebs

Actually, indoors it is not that hot (25-27C or so?) and I live in one of the drier parts of the country, but of course, conditions must still help.
Initially, I also spread the seeds on a thick, wet sheet of paper, but later found this unnecessary.
I was still surprised to see you spreading them on earth. But they may also take longer as you seem to keep them until they sprout green leaves. By that stage they apparently become more like greenfood though, and lose much of the value of the freshly sprouting seeds, so I give them with just a tiny white tip sprouting.
They get greens separately anyway.

[lovezebs]

w.l.

They eat the sprouts and some of the dirt too amazingly enough, especially the Waxbills.

It's organic sea soil with nothing added to it. I figure there is something in it which they lack in their diet.

I do sprouted seeds separetly, but they're not as keen on them.

[MisterGribs]

w.l. I thought that the substrate might be the problem. With this setup you have, is it possible to grow them longer, so there's a bit of leaf on them?

[MisterGribs]

DamonIRB

This is some great advice!! I will try adding a fan into the kitchen, it will probably be good for my other plants in there as well.

[w.l.]

MisterGribs

I never tried but I am sure it would be, as they grow very fast. But as I had already said, they are apparently most nutritious at the stage on the photo.
Also, if your place is cooler and drier than mine, the whole process will take longer and might require extra moisture.

[MisterGribs]

I tried a lot of suggestions from you guys today, a shallow dish watered with sterile, boiled water. I also baked the soil in the oven first to kill any existing spores. Since the environment here is humid, I didn't cover the tray. I put it near the open window.

[lovezebs]

MisterGribs

Any luck then???