Advice - Compost going white on top

Hi,

So i've started sowing the last couple of weeks, mainly herbs again at the minute, but on top of my compost in my tubs its gone white after the first week. What is this and is it ok? Is it a sign my compost is too wet? I water from below. The seedlings popping up look happy.

 

I've found the same thing happens when watering from below. Try a gentle watering from the top -it breaks up the surface of the compost slightly and stops that hard crust developing and white stuff forming. I now only water from below if the container has dried out, though I do sit some pots and trays on damp sand.

 

It could be too damp - but to appear after only one week implies that it might even be something in the compost itself.

The best thing is to spray with a copper compound. There are a number of such products sold in garden centres. Copper is an antifungicide and is recommended for use with seedlings to help stop damping off (ie death of seedlings from fungal attack). I make up a spray bottle with a slightly reduced strength solution, and then spray my seedlings virtually every day. I find that the act of spraying supplies a lot of the water that they need, so I rarely water in the early days as I use a transparent lid to conserve moisture.

 

Thanks all, it has literally been only a week. Pete, could you throw a brand at me so i could find this "copper spray"? or a link to b&q or something please....?

 

"Cheshunt Compound" or "Murphy Traditional Copper Fungicide" (if the later still exists?)

 

Thankyou Kristen, i'll get some tomorrow at lunch.

It does sound weird spraying metal onto plants though, its ok for edible produce? :confused:

 

Newbie - buy a packet with individual sachets in. Not a tin. The reason is that it goes off after a time. I recon a packet will be OK during the seedling season. But by next year it might be useless. The sachets are sealed and so a packet of sachets will last you years.

 

I've got some Cheshunt compound now thanks, but i need to use this on edible plants. Is this really safe? Its got all these precautions on and metals listed, and killing waterways etc!!!. Is it safe to use on say a herb i'm just growing?, i almost feel safer just putting up with the white compost since its not hurt the growth yet.

For everyones info btw, copper compound has been banned (for sale anyway) from this spring. Been down to local non b&q garden centre this lunch.

 

Newbie - whilst I don't have detailed information - I am pretty sure that copper solution is quite safe for us to eat. 99.99% will be washed off by rain and cooking.

An alternative metal solution you could use is silver solution. But it would be a bit more expensive. This also has an antibacterial effect. As I am sure you will be eating your veg with your silver knife and fork, consider the fact that silver cutlery is the safest of all to use because of this very property. It kills all the bugs on you cutlery.