No good Barb, I use a grow light it helps heat the soil and keeps the mold off the soil. I use just one, but I move it around where it is needed.
Mold is what did all but one of my "big mama's" in.

That mold can spead right into your palms. 😐

Ugh 👿

Virtually impossible to get a grow light over these guys ... 10 foot finished ceiling in that building.
Might be easier to bring them to the house where it's warm.
But then again, they're supposed to be cold hardy (trachies, princeps, washies, etc.) 😕

Gonna go heat up the car... 😥

Just a Q...so what did I do wrong? putting them into the cold building when soil was too damp?

Thanks Aaron.
Barb

EDIT: So heat alone will kill the mold? or do I have to scrape it off with a knife?

Just a Q...so what did I do wrong? putting them into the cold building when soil was too damp?

Thanks Aaron.
Barb

EDIT: So heat alone will kill the mold? or do I have to scrape it off with a knife?

Yes, I think it is the cold wet.

I don't know if the heat alone will kill the mold. It could be the UV rays? I have a $5 clamp on heat lamp with a screw in grow light bulb. I almost never use it until I had mold growing on my seedlings. I move it around every day or so. 🙂

PS. I found the grow bulbs at Wal-Mart in the light bulb section. They have like a blue coating on them. 😀

I've had that mold too Barb.........I usually correlated it to lack of air movement. Can you get the air to move.....like a fan? Strong sun will also help the situation but you won't get that this time of year! 😉

Can you get the air to move.....like a fan?

There are 5 ceiling fans running 24/7 😐
Just too damp when they went inside I guess.
Re the Big Momma seedlings, I've got two in the cold building that are happily still on the right side of the soil.

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8330514583/" title="051 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="600" height="800" alt="051"></a>

I'll look for those clamp on contraptions and bulbs, thanks, Aaron.

Was going to bring them down to the house.
But no go...too much work moving big heavy plants in the way.
And to squeeze through there with one at a time... 😐

So I scraped mold off with a spoon (yum!), dumped it into a bag and outside.
With a few choice words as it hit the snow.

Fingers crossed they aren't all going to die.

But took a bunch of photos while I was up there.

Cycas debaoensis:
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8331498576/" title="050 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="800" height="600" alt="050"></a>

All the little Phoenix started last winter are fine:
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8330448539/" title="046 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="800" height="600" alt="046"></a>

Spindle palm pushing a spear despite it being too cool:
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8330451889/" title="044 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="600" height="800" alt="044"></a>

The sick Triangles are, well, sick. Can't even find the third one!:
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8330457207/" title="040 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="800" height="600" alt="040"></a>

Worst one:
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8330450163/" title="045 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="600" height="800" alt="045"></a>

A declining Cycas Panzhihuaensis:
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8331576260/" title="052 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="600" height="800" alt="052"></a>

Ugly Avocado:
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8330441673/" title="047 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="600" height="800" alt="047"></a>

These young Foxtails were sacrificed to see which could survive blazing heat, strong winds all day long.
The survivors, not pretty but they are alive:
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8331500250/" title="049 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="600" height="800" alt="049"></a>

Foxtail siblings that were treated better (no direct sun)
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8330446677/" title="048 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="600" height="800" alt="048"></a>

Y.rostrata in a tall tub planted 100% gravel, no soil:
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8331495166/" title="043 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="600" height="800" alt="043"></a>

Another yucca:
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8331509302/" title="042 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="600" height="800" alt="042"></a>

Rosemary standard:
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8330459015/" title="039 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="600" height="800" alt="039"></a>

Lavender standard:
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8330460853/" title="037 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="600" height="800" alt="037"></a>

Chinese Fan slowly pushing leaf:
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8331518498/" title="036 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="800" height="600" alt="036"></a>

Grapefruit:
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8331491160/" title="035 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="600" height="800" alt="035"></a>

Sabal riverside actually grew a leaf:
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8331520378/" title="034 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="600" height="800" alt="034"></a>

Sabal minor "charleston" tried to grow: 😕
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8330466247/" title="033 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="800" height="600" alt="033"></a>

This Sabal sort of succeeded in growing one:
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8331489390/" title="032 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="600" height="800" alt="032"></a>

Remember the Brahea armata twins? the ones whose roots I tore apart, dunking into pesticide?
Not dead yet from the rough treatment...but they don't look like twins any more:
The tall one had warm winter until this year, the short one was always in the cold building during winter.
Brahea armata really do prefer to be above 55F with watering all winter long.
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8331525648/" title="028 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="800" height="600" alt="028"></a>

Some more stuff in there:
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8330475351/" title="023 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="600" height="800" alt="023"></a>

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8331485504/" title="021 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="800" height="600" alt="021"></a>

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8331457642/" title="020 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="600" height="800" alt="020"></a>

Two little pups of what's-his'name:
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8330406143/" title="018 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="800" height="600" alt="018"></a>

and the tiniest one: <a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8331511232/" title="041 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="800" height="600" alt="041"></a>

Here's what's-his-name here at top center:
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8330424593/" title="003 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="800" height="600" alt="003"></a>

The big jade tree is starting to flower:
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8331462638/" title="017 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="800" height="600" alt="017"></a>

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8330400855/" title="016 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="800" height="600" alt="016"></a>

Never have to buy another geranium: 😆
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8330409545/" title="015 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="800" height="600" alt="015"></a>

Aloe:
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8330413095/" title="013 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="600" height="800" alt="013"></a>

Love these Cordylines Red Star, grateful that Tim said not to treat them as annuals:
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8330416671/" title="008 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="800" height="600" alt="008"></a>

The fused leaf of BoP means no flower spike...darn: CIDP behind it.
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8330418737/" title="006 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="800" height="600" alt="006"></a>

Nainital growing all year round:
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8330422545/" title="004 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="800" height="600" alt="004"></a>

With mold scraped off the soil, look better already (fingers crossed):
<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8331527682/" title="025 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="800" height="600" alt="025"></a>

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8330473581/" title="024 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="800" height="600" alt="024"></a>

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8331487518/" title="026 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="800" height="600" alt="026"></a>

Thanks for visiting!
You might be invited to the seedling funeral if the mold-scraping didn't work. 😕

Barb

OMG...........is there a plant you don't have? 😆

The Cycad d. is a beauty.......................wow.

Glad to see the big mamas growing well.

If you have fans going.........then my idea is history. 😕

Nice pics, Barb! 😆

That is too bad regarding the mold and the bottle palm. As far as the palm goes, I think long exposures to lower temps can be really detrimental to these tropical palms.

Yup, Tim, the fans are always on...and still mold 😆

long exposures to lower temps can be really detrimental to these tropical palms

I knew it would be risky putting them in that building.
But the fungus gnats in the house were intolerable.

Re the mold scraping...several days later now, it hasn't grown back.
Probably too cold 😕

Barb

Would scraping the mold off really work? What you see of mold is typically just the fruiting body (fruiting body). The rest of the fungal structure is deeply embedded throughout the soil. (This is why we don't scrape the mold off of bread and keep it) Could you possibly try washing the soil with hydrogen peroxide solution?

You make a good point about the "depth" of the mold. :idea1:
Poop.

I'll do some 3% hydrogen peroxide tomorrow.
They won't like being watered though in those chilly temps.

why we don't scrape the mold off of bread and keep it

But routinely done with cheese. 😐

Thanks robocaesar for the warning.
Barb

You bring up a good point about cheese, so I looked into it: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01024

Apparently mold on soft cheese can be bad, but it's fine to cut off mold on harder cheeses (like cheddar) since the mold can't penetrate that far into it. There's mold everywhere though, with spores floating around in the air at all times, so you can never truly escape our fungal friends. 😀

Too bad this has to happen in the winter, otherwise it would be so easy to take care of this outside, but I'm guessing it's pretty cold where you are!

OMG...........is there a plant you don't have? 😆

I didnt see any draceana 😛

Barb, looking at your cold room, is like looking into my house in 10 years time.......

Looks like they got a wee touch of the aids-just kidding.

Barbarino

What is the palm,first pic,last row,second from the left?

Looks like a little Tesan

P.S. do you have any window blinds left? 😛