Moldy clones

[MesaBoogie]

I took my clones about a week ago and most of them have this mold at the base of the stem. First time time running into this issue. Should I start new clones ? I know not all mold is bad but I don't know the difference.

 

[DoobieGrows]

Did you ever get a answer on this?

 

[MesaBoogie]

Did you ever get a answer on this?

Yea, all the clones that had the mold never rooted and died. Lesson learned. Not really sure what caused the mold. I'll do an extra good cleanup/disinfect my next round. From my reading it seems like had it just been the white stuff it would have been fine. But the green mold is bad. I pulled a few and it seems like the mold just covered the part where the root gel touched or everything just above and under the surface. What ever way you want to look at it i guess.

 

[Frankthetank]

Yea, all the clones that had the mold never rooted and died. Lesson learned. Not really sure what caused the mold. I'll do an extra good cleanup/disinfect my next round. From my reading it seems like had it just been the white stuff it would have been fine. But the green mold is bad. I pulled a few and it seems like the mold just covered the part where the root gel touched or everything just above and under the surface. What ever way you want to look at it i guess.

Did you use cloning gel? Dip the clones directly into the bottle of gel?

 

[MesaBoogie]

Did you use cloning gel? Dip the clones directly into the bottle of gel?

Yea contaminated gel is my inclination. I know better than to dip my plants into the bottle. But I'm not smart enough to make sure the new disposable plastic spoons I use to dip into the bottle are sanitized properly. I ran out of isopropyl and just used a lighter to disinfect my scissors this time around as well. Wife is going to fire me for sure. I'll have to figure a way to pour the new gel out onto the spoon next time. It's kind of thick though.

 

[Frankthetank]

Yea contaminated gel is my inclination. I know better than to dip my plants into the bottle. But I'm not smart enough to make sure the new disposable plastic spoons I use to dip into the bottle are sanitized properly. I ran out of isopropyl and just used a lighter to disinfect my scissors this time around as well. Wife is going to fire me for sure. I'll have to figure a way to pour the gel out onto the spoon next time. It's kind of thick though.

Also could just be an old bottle that got contaminated from being open, and just picked something up outta the air… the gel bottle is a good environment for the baddies I’m betting…

 

[Waira]

Mesa', it sure smacks of a contamination of some sort, considering the proximity of the infection to the gel... also could be that the extra nutrients there were just providential, but I frown at such coincidences!
It looks like an Aspergillus mold, definitely a bad actor
Those peat or coco pucks can be fouled as well, dormant spores reactivating once hydrated and some opportunistic food about (as per above)...

With seedlings/young clones, it's harder to treat, usually pointless once the damage is done... Consider pre-treating with a gentle fungicide; Sierra Natural Science has some good ones, I think one type is actually systemic?
Also, there are some biologicals that can help fight of pathogenic molds, more prophylactic than curative though...

 

[Dab]

Yea contaminated gel is my inclination. I know better than to dip my plants into the bottle. But I'm not smart enough to make sure the new disposable plastic spoons I use to dip into the bottle are sanitized properly. I ran out of isopropyl and just used a lighter to disinfect my scissors this time around as well. Wife is going to fire me for sure. I'll have to figure a way to pour the new gel out onto the spoon next time. It's kind of thick though.

Just pour the gel out into a plastic cup or something like. So your not putting anything in the bottle then seal back up for next time

 

[BII]

Mold/fungal spores are unavoidably in the air, unless you have high grade clean room facilities. Just follow the same approaches you'd use to protect buds in a tent - lower moisture levels and have good air circulation. I think chemical disinfection is not needed, may even be contra-indicated, such as allow a single or few nasty fungi and/or bacterial strains to get established vs. a more harmless natural mixture that plants are used to dealing with. Keep the affected plant areas drier; and maybe use different starting pucks.