Feeling unsure of what has grown on your microgreens? Is it mold or is it white fuzzy roots? What’s the deal!!!? If you see these white fuzzy root hairs as shown below, know that your Seed Quilt is happy, healthy and growing! Don’t worry - these tiny little root hairs are a completely normal part of the growing process. Photos taken by: Sean Goodman from Hamama Friends Group Photo taken by: Murray W. Nabors When roots have access to lots of oxygen for root respiration, these tiny fuzzy root hairs form - a great sign of healthy, happy root development! Here are a couple more photos below from Hamama customers who have grown crops with beautiful white fuzzy root hairs! :D Photo taken by: Heather Photo taken by: Rebecca Though white fuzzy root hairs and mold can look a little similar, they do take different forms. Take a look first at the difference. Photo taken by: lowimpact.org Recognizing the Difference Between Roots and Mold Look closely at the roots - are the white fuzzy stems all growing directly off the main root? In that case, it’s happy, healthy root hairs! In contrast, mold has a more spider web-like, random form. How Hamama Seed Quilts help prevent mold so you don’t have to worry!: Hamama Seed Quilts are designed with air flow in mind - the most important factor to consider when it comes to preventing mold! You can thank the porous coconut fiber grow mat part of the Seed Quilt for this great airflow. Another important factor is ensuring there is no over-watering. When you place the Seed Quilt in the grow tray and press down on it so it can absorb water, it allows the seeds to absorb water and stay moist, but without becoming water-logged. The water level will drop below the fill line and eventually below the level of the coconut fiber mat, which allows the roots to access more oxygen. The cool thing is that - even with this air gap - the roots and coconut fiber mat are still gradually wicking water up to the seeds. And that’s how Seed Quilts are designed to avoid water-logging! Lastly - placing your grow tray near houseplants or fruit baskets can increase risk of mold or plant disease, so if you do really want to grow near other plants - do some testing and be aware that if problems do arise, you may want to find a more isolated spot for your microgreens. Top Photo below: Hamama Seed Quilt with the coconut fiber underneath. Bottom Photo below: Our Grow Tray with the ribs in the middle to help wisk up water properly to the seed quilt. Top photo taken by: Carolyn Severin (Hamama Customer Happiness Team Member) Bottom photo taken by: Hamama The ribs at the bottom of the grow tray hold the Seed Quilt above the water to avoid over-soaking of the seeds! I hope this has been helpful for you!! As you grow, just remember those white, healthy, fuzzy roots are a great sign, not mold! Happy, healthy roots = Happy, healthy microgreens!! When your greens are happy, you are happy!!! :D If you have any additional questions, we are always here to answer them for you at Hamama!!! Contact our Customer Happiness Team Members here. Check out our "How to Avoid Mold in your Microgreens" Video on our YouTube Channel Here!
