Mould on plant pots

As the title suggests, I've noticed mould growing on my plant pots. All the ones that I've planted with seeds have white, cotton wool-like mould on them.

What could be causing it?

I really hope it's not the compost as I used the last 20L or so filling a container last night. I don't think it can be the seeds as it's affecting all of them.
I did have a mouldy plant on my windowsill a couple of months ago (damn thing had it when I bought it, I didn't think to check) but I have since thrown it away and cleaned the windows and the sill just in case. None of the seeds were even planted at the time. I did wonder last night if it could perhaps have gotten onto the curtains?

Finally, should I throw all my little seedlings away? :(

The above reads like a garbled mess, sorry. I shouldn't write in the mornings. I'll come back later on and fix it if nobody can read it.

Thanks a lot.

 

Hi HBK - it cold well be the compost. I have mould growing on a number of my pots of seeds, which must be from the compost. Don't worry - it need not be fatal. Spray with a copper compound. The only one available these days is this Bayer Garden which you will find most places.

You can also get mould spores on the outside of the seeds themselves, but in this case it would be only on one pot.

You don't have to throw anything away. It is quite possible for the seeds to germinate and grow through it. But once its there you must keep spraying regularly. I use a very dilute solution and spray virtually every day - but beware of leaving the foliage too wet as this can also encourage mould.

 

I've just cleaned the Garden Centre out of Boardeux mixture before they ban it.

 

I've had another look and there's something I should mention, the one pot that is under a cloche has no mould on it. Not a spot.

 

I've been snapping up these:



I wonder if they are also generally available. The ingredient is the same, but at a lower concentration and with 10 sachets to the 6 in the above product, but I haven't checked the difference in dilution - I have both as my local Homebase also sold off loads of that Bayer Garden stuff really cheap, but I probably didn't stock up with enough at the time.

 

I usually put a thin layer of sharp sand on top of the compost when I sow seeds indoors, or indeed when I keep a plant indoors.

My logic (and I have no scientific backing for this) is that fungi usually needs moisture and warmth. Sand is very free draining so doesn't hold moisture, so the surface is inhospitable to mould. It seems to work.

I do wonder though if there is a lot of it, if the compost is being kept too damp, and/or if it is too warm and not light enough, which makes for ideal conditions for fungi.