How to avoid mold issues in microgreens?

It is quite common for microgreens growers facing the mold issue especially during germination stage, in order to avoid it, we need to understand what are the causes: 

- Soggy environment

- Warm environment

- Over watering

- Lack of direct lighting (after germination/blackout)

- Poor ventilation environment

- Poor drainage

Root hair or mold?

A lot of beginners confuse the mold with root hair, as both looks quite similar. If you are unsure it is mold or root hair, the best way to identifying it is by rinsing it with water, part of the mold may be rinse off with water but root hair don't.

Root hairs

Mold

Key things to identify mold:

- offensive odor

- spider-web-like strands grows on the seeds or directly on the greens

- part of the strands may rinse off with water

- can appear balck, purple or blue spots in the strands or on the leaves.

If leave the mold unattended, the fungi start to take over and multiply, whole trays may fall flat due to the infections, this is also referred to as damping-off.

How to prevent mold on microgreens?

- Properly disinfect trays before growing.

- Use clean growing mediums like coco peat or peat moss.

- Do not over watering on the growing mediums.

- For hydropoinc without any medium, tilt the white net tray about 45 degress for about 1 minute to drain out the water on the tray after each spray.

- Control the humidity of the growing space.

- Control the temperature of the growing space, too warm may cause the mold grow agressively.

- Provide good air circulation in the growing space.

- presoak the seeds with eco enzyme, ratio for eco enzyme to water is 1:500.

- Add eco enzyme or 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide into spray water,  ratio for eco enzyme or 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide to water is 1:1000.

- Avoid seeding too densely 

- Set up proper lighting conditions for 6-10 hours daily (after germination & black out).

- Remove the seeds with mold immediately, prevent the mold to spread out.