Overview
Peat pots are made of compressed organic matter. They are a convenience for gardeners who want to start seeds indoors and minimize transplant shock. Unfortunately, they are also good hosts for mold, a major cause of "damping off."
Peat and Mold
Peat, like all organic matter, carries mold spores, and its acidity provides a supportive environment. The addition of dolomite lime in some peat products offsets this acidity.
Temperature
Cool temperatures favor the formation of saprophytic fungi, the white fungus commonly found on soil and peat pots. Gentle bottom heat gives plants a boost so they can outgrow fungus.
Circulation
Greenhouse trays for peat pots and indoor enclosures designed to retain moisture create still atmospheres, allowing spores to stay long enough to sprout hypae, the thread-like "roots" that help them spread.
Moisture
The most common water problem is constant or excess moisture, which feeds mold spores. Water also carries spores. Tap water may lower soil pH, encouraging mold growth.
Soil
Most mold spores travel in unsterilized soil--soil from the garden or potting soil that has not been "baked" before use. Peat containers make perfect hosts for "damping off," a fungus disease of tender seedlings.
- Seed Savers Exchange: Mold on Peat Moss and Paper Cups
- Ohio State Extension:Temperature, Moisture Content and pH
- Hort.UConn.edu: Damping Off Causes and Cures
- Hort.Purdue.edu: Planting Seeds Indoors
About this Author
Chicago native Laura Reynolds has been writing for 40 years. She attended American University (D.C.), Northern Illinois University and University of Illinois Chicago and has a B.S. in communications (theater). Originally a secondary school communications and history teacher, she's written one book and edited several others. She has 30 years of experience as a local official, including service as a municipal judge.
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