Microgreens MOLD or ROOT HAIRS & How To Tell The Difference?!

You may have seen the beautiful root hairs that appear on microgreens and accidentally mistaken them for mold. I still see many new growers get confused by this, so I'm going to teach you exactly how to tell the difference between mold and root hairs, here in this post.

When I started growing microgreens and saw these fuzzy little root hairs for the first time, I thought that they're mold too. But there's a big difference between mold and root hairs and a very simple way to tell the difference between the two.

Over the years, I've experienced different molds, I've seen tons of root hairs and in the various microgreens groups on Facebook, I still see people mistaking their beautiful healthy root systems for mold. If you want a foolproof way to determine whether your micro greens have mold, or root hairs, then stay tuned because I'm going to teach you exactly how to tell the difference on your own, this way you never have to be confused or worried again.

Mold and root hairs are very different. Root hairs or cilia are these fuzzy little shoots that come off of the roots of plants in order to aid in water absorption. Mold on the other hand, is actually a type of fungus that grows when specific conditions are met and will cause problems in your microgreens because the function of fungus is actually to break down in natural materials. Mold and root hairs can actually look very similar to an untrained eye, so let me explain what to look for so you can tell the difference on your own.

Root hairs are bright white and always appear to congregate around the root itself. Remember, they radiate out from, and are attached to, the central root. Mold on the other hand can be many different colors including gray, black and even blue. If the mold is white, it actually won't be as bright white as root hairs are and will actually have a grayish tint.

The most important factor when determining whether you are dealing with mold or root hairs is the fact that mold will spread instead of staying central to the root. If you see something that's spreading across your microgreens tray or it looks more like a grayish spiderweb then you are in fact dealing with mold. Remember also, that the purpose of mold is to break down natural matter. With this being said, another great indicator is if the mold appears to be serving its natural purpose of decomposition. If the mold is forming on dead seeds in your tray that didn't sprout or maybe on other plant matter or sticks that may have ended up in your microgreens tray, chances are it's mold.

Now you know exactly how to tell the difference between mold and root hairs. But what if something appears in your tray that you're unsure of? Join my Microgreens Support Group on Facebook so you can post pictures and get the answers that you need!

Link to This Video: https://youtu.be/HjWH_9wB71c