[artyGill]

 I've started some cabbage and sprout seeds off. Put them in an unheated propagator to start with and removed them as soon as they germinated. They have been sitting on a sunnyish window sill since then an look k but a couple of the seedlings have a sort of fuzzy fungus at the base, next to the compost  I'm I doing something wrong/are they ruined? Can you tell I have no idea what I'm doing 

[azubah]

A photo would be useful.

If they look healthy they probably are.

Keep them damp but not too wet and not too warm.
If  you have a cold greenhouse they might do better in there.
They would get better light in a greenhouse than on a window ledge.
Cabbages and sprouts are pretty hardy and don't mind it cool, but would not like frost if they have been started indoors, until they have been hardened off.
The fungus is probably nothing to worry about.

[Kristen]

I'd add to that to water them from the bottom - stand in a bowl of water (tap NOT rain water) for 10 minutes, and then let them drain - that will keep the surface of the compost drier than watering from the top

I've got mould growing on my seedlings this year too, not had it for ages, but the compost looks like it has mould too - maybe a different / bad / variable batch this year.

[Trillium]

Both of you have a fungus called damping off. It mostly attacks young seedlings because of one or more of these factors:
- soil mix is too wet
- area is too cool as well as too wet
- air circulation is poor
- you're watering from above rather than soaking from below
- there's not enough sun to fight off the fungus
- there are cool/cold drafts

The usuals are too wet soil and too cool temps. It can be sorted by a product called No Damp, which may or may not still be on the market. Or, chestnut compound watered over the surface. Or, cool camomile tea watered over the surface. Plus, get better air circulation going and put the plants in a warmer area for a while.

It's very likely the affected seedlings may not recover but you can prevent the others from infection.

[mumofstig]

The EU says we can't use Cheshunt Cpmpound any more Trillium 

You can use this though.......

http://www.bayergarden.co.uk/products/product.aspx?productid=188&categoryid=17

[Trillium]

Thanks for letting me know, MoS. I wasn't aware of that.

[Kristen]

Both of you have a fungus called damping off.

Mine is definitely not damping off - I've had that before and would recognise the damage it causes.  Its a white fungus on the compost surface and the plants don't seem to be affected at all. I put some compost in a tray (planning to plant in it), left it there unwatered and even that grew fungus ...

I reckon the compost batch is at fault, but if its not bothering my plants I can't be bothered to take it all back to the garden centre I'm afraid. I might mention it to them though ...

[azubah]

The fungus that causes damping off is not visible to the naked eye..at least I have never seen it.
Damping off causes the seedlings to fall over and shrivel up.

[johnfh]

Sounds like what I always knew as damping off, lots of white strands covering seeds and soil fairly densely.  Bayer product looks best solution. Also found that using rainwater seems to encourage it so always use tap water on seedlings these days and that does seem to keep the incidence down.

[Brassica Blaz]

ive got it to on my compost,its a white "fusty"fungus but the seedlings seem healthy enough.it was there a couple of days after sowing.the compost isa multi purpose from home base and it was a bit frozen when i bought it.dont know if thats a factor or not.

Both of you have a fungus called damping off.

Mine is definitely not damping off - I've had that before and would recognise the damage it causes.  Its a white fungus on the compost surface and the plants don't seem to be affected at all. I put some compost in a tray (planning to plant in it), left it there unwatered and even that grew fungus ...

I reckon the compost batch is at fault, but if its not bothering my plants I can't be bothered to take it all back to the garden centre I'm afraid. I might mention it to them though ...

[JayG]

There is more than one fungus that causes damping off, and others which can coat the surface of the compost without harming the seedlings.

Problem of course is knowing which is which; they all thrive in the humid conditions which are likely to exist in covered seed trays, especially if they are also over-watered.

I have read that it is not essential to cover seed trays, the down-side being that the seeds will take longer to germinate; at the very least make sure you take the covers off as soon as the seeds have germinated.

[azubah]

I have just had a look at my cabbage seedlings and there is a small area of white fibres at the base of some of them.

It looks like fungus, but on closer examination it is actually tiny root hairs.

[someoneorother]

My bag of compost has a note on the side saying that once you wet it a white fungus may grow on the surface, but it will do no harm and will disappear after a few waterings. So it may well be nothing to worry about.

[artyGill]

Apologies for not coming back sooner, having PC/Internet problems.
Thanks for the replies. Before I got back to read most of them I had to move the tray of seedlings to another room. The fungus has vanished but the seedlings are leggy I'll keep an eye on them and see what happens.
Thanks again.

[DD.]

Brassicas do not like being in the warmth of a house, they just don't need it!

Try the usual tricks of moving to a cooler place, sticking aluminium foil behind them to reflect the light, re potting & burying the stems as deep as possible etc..

If they too leggy, then I'm afraid they're a gonner and you'll have to start again - only this time somewhere cooler. Frost free is adequate for their needs.