Topics

mold question.

may be a dumb question but I have a humidity dome with a few fig cuttings in it.  I found mold on one of the cuttings.  My question is"could it potentially contaminate all the healthy fig cuttings and the humidity dome?  The cuttings aren't touching one another but they are very close proximity.  Also is it safe to handle other cuttings if you previously touched a molded cutting?

No such thing as a dumb question!
I think your suspicions are correct; mold can spread by the spores it releases and could contaminate other cuttings sharing the  same airspace, and you could also transfer the infection by handling.   If possible, try wiping/scrubbing off the mold with a paper towel lightly moistened with some disinfectant, like hydrogen peroxide, 5% bleach solution, etc and let it dry out a bit before recovering.
The technique I've been using (harveyC's direct potting in ProMix) has been pretty mold-proof, as it relies on the breathable membrane of Buddytape or Parafilm to retain moisture rather than humidity dome/bin.
Good luck!

Mold spores are everywhere, we breathe them in constantly......every step you take disturbs a cloud of them.  There is just no way to prevent mold spores from getting to the cuttings.  If you see mold it is just a sign something is wrong with the cutting or the way it is being propagated IE too wet.  Let them have a bit more air. 100% humidity is not needed and just makes the transition to normal humidity levels more difficult.  

  • Rob


In my experience, as far as a cutting is concern, mold can be one of two things:
1. If it is merely surface mold, meaning if you use your finger to brush it away the cutting still looks fine, then it is not fatal, possibly a sign of excess humidity, but maybe just part of the process.  For example, if a bit of leaf or fig was left on a cutting, or just dirt, etc, then this can develop a bit of mold on the outside of the cutting.  I have frequently had a bit of this type of mold and the cutting has turned out fine. 
2.  If it is actually feeding on the cutting itself, meaning if you push on where it is and the cutting is soft or wet or mushy, then that part of the cutting (at a minimum) is already dead.  This does not bode well for the cutting, but sometimes one end can rot away and a different part of the cutting can still be viable. 

Either way, the mold itself is not the enemy.  The spores are everywhere.  But the mold only develops when conditions are too humid, or the cutting is already dead, etc.  So you should spend your energy fixing the underlying conditions (primarily humidity and air flow), rather than trying to do anything about the mold directly. 

The only time I throw away a cutting is if it is the #2 type of mold above, and it appears that the entire cutting appears dead.  This can exhibit in a few ways.  Often they are kinda wrinkly looking and brown everywhere.  If the cutting is molding and appears dead, then I toss it.  Even in these situations there are reports of some part of the cutting being alive and emerging from the compost pile later on.

Reply Cancel
Subscribe Share Cancel