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soil Green algae on soil surface

I agree with the questionable definition of "organic". Why does natural not mean anything anymore??? Now we find people calling a chemical reaction between two chemicals "naturally occurring", so now we have to use organic as a safe "natural" word... At least that is how I see it. There should be a better definition.

My thoughts are like FLAKES. I understand the presence of nutrients and elements in certain things. But I won't use bottled peroxide because it is "man made". I wish it would rain down here, but neh....


My problem started in a 72 cell starter. Maybe it is my soil mix, but the cells do not stay evenly moist... some dry out faster than others. And I ONLY bottom water my seed trays. I am not using a sterile medium tho, It is organic and has some nutrients that would help algae start giving the right conditions, which I obvouisly have.

I wish the problem was as simple as letting the surface dry out.... and actually now they are transplanted, I will have an easier time with that. But it was nearly impossible to let the seed tray to dry a bit because it would allow some cells to dry completely and then the seedling would wild and maybe DIE!!!

We have a nice forecast for the next few days so I may give these "algae troubled" plants a dose of sun. Almost 500 plants could begin hardening off a little!!

Thanks everyone for their thoughts!!! I think i can handle it, just wanted some other opinions. As Avon Barksdale said, organic is kinda confusing...


Happy Growing!
 
if it is a concern - empty the cells and rinse the roots - put new soil in and replant. Simple. Ive had algae from over watering my self I let the soil dry and scrap the top layer out - I like organic to a point as well
 
NorTexChiliJs said:
My problem started in a 72 cell starter. Maybe it is my soil mix, but the cells do not stay evenly moist... some dry out faster than others. And I ONLY bottom water my seed trays. I am not using a sterile medium tho, It is organic and has some nutrients that would help algae start giving the right conditions, which I obvouisly have.
Happy Growing!
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I bottom water, use a sterile mix and still get algae on the surface of some cells because they don't stay evenly moist as you say. It never seems to really do any harm, but I've found that stirring and breaking up the top fraction of an inch of the cell (I use a fork) will let the surface dry quickly and kill the algae.
 
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Unleashed Hottness said:
H2O2 is inorganic. Hydrogen is chemical and peroxide can be chemical or organic but the bond between the two is chemical. IMO it doesnt matter unless used in large amounts because almost all complex organic material have at least trace amounts of chemicals in it. H2O2 is natural and man-made.
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The bond between all atoms is a chemical bond, so I'm not sure what you're trying to say there.

Organic compounds are chemicals too. Glucose is a chemical. "Organic" fertilizers are all made up of chemicals, and the compounds in them have to be broken down by microbes into inorganic compounds before the plant can actually use them anyway. Water is an inorganic chemical. The distinction between organic vs. chemical is imaginary.

As for organic/inorganic and hydrogen peroxide...

No one says your crop is no longer organic when it gets rained on and exposed to some hydrogen peroxide, so if you mix hydrogen peroxide from a bottle into some water then why is it no longer organic? I don't see any reason why there should be two substances with identical chemical structure, and one is fine to use and other isn't simply because of where each came from. It seems pretty silly to me.

Tap water is processed, purified, and chemically treated, so if using hydrogen peroxide made in a lab is considered inorganic, so should using tap water.

I'm all for feeding the soil and microorganisms, using sustainable methods, maintaining the health of the ecosystem, avoiding GMO crops, limiting the use of pesticides and herbicides, being responsible with the environment, etc. but the whole organic/inorganic thing is a bunch of poppycock.
 
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