Content
- Avoid mold growth in cress
- Is it really mold?
- Throw moldy cress away
- Use pulps instead of earth
- Mold is favored by waterlogging
- Tips & Tricks
Avoid mold growth in cress
Moldy cress or cress sprouts are harmful to health and should not be eaten. Mostly a wrong surface or waterlogging are responsible for mold growth. But also uncleanliness can lead to the development of mold.
Is it really mold?
If a white surface forms on the seedlings, this does not necessarily have to be mildew. The fine cress roots initially develop a mesh that is a bit reminiscent of mold.
To detect if it is actually mold, do the smell test. Smelling cress or spores musty and unpleasant, it is probably due to mold.
A fresh, spicy-hot smell indicates that the cress is completely healthy and perfectly edible.
Throw moldy cress away
If mold has appeared, throw the cress away. Simply removing the upper layer of soil, as is often recommended, does not help, as the lower layers of the earth are also affected by spores.
Do not dispose of moldy cress on the compost, but throw it in the household waste or the bio bin.
Use pulps instead of earth
To prevent mold, the plant substrate plays an important role.
Cheap or leached garden soil often contains mold spores, which spread quickly when waterlogged. Before sowing, dry the soil in the oven for a short time at high temperatures.
Instead of earth you can also use other materials. These are usually unloaded and do not mold so fast:
Mold is favored by waterlogging
Keep the watercress moist evenly, but make sure that waterlogging does not occur.
It has proven to be useful to rinse the seed with fresh water every morning. You have to be very careful so that the seed does not float away. Use a spray bottle and hold the planter at a slight angle so that the excess water can drain away.
A breezy location in the sun is also advisable, because the plantlets can dry better.
Tips & Tricks
If you want to make sure that the cress or the sprouts do not mold, you can cultivate the cress in the two-pot system. The upper pot, in which the seeds are sown, gets a few holes. The water can drain into the lower pot and mold is prevented.