Why is some of the top of my soil green?

[The Squid]

Hey people. I posted this on my regular grow journal but it got slightly lost in between some other posts.

So I have recently flushed my four baby auto fems that had hot soil. That was two days ago, waiting on them to dry up and get back right so I can continue.

I recently noticed that the top of my soil and perlite is greenish in color. Not sure what this is all about and I couldn't find anything about it sooo...yeah. That's it. Anybody know what this is? Much thanks in advance.

Sorry no pic. I guess I could get one but I thought it could be figured out without.

 

[Mr Piggy]

Algae! No worries, happens to the top of my soil some times.
Soaked soil + nutirents + light = algae on top some times.

 

[BuddyLove]

well, not seeing it. i'll give it a guess and say algae...but i never got that when i used soil. have your nutes and water been sitting in the light?

 

[The Squid]

No my nutes and water have not been in the light. But the soil was hot with nutes and I flushed them which obviously soaked them. Never happened till then so I am thinking algae too. What else would it be though?
And should I remove it or not worry at all? It isn't very much.
Is it beneficial?

 

[Mr Piggy]

Don't sweat it, you're fine. It happens to people all the time, as long as you don't have algae growing in your hydro setup you're fine. There's no benefit to it, and it eats nutes just like any plant, but nothing to go stripping the top layer of your soil off about.
It's like springtails, your heart skips a beat the first time you see it but once you learn it's harmless ya just ignore it.

 

[The Squid]

Thanks Mr Piggy. Case solved.

 

[Stunted]

I get algae on my Perlite unless I cover the top with a layer of small Hydroton.
JM has also suggested that I use sand to combat the algae but as I have some Hydroton left I will keep using it until I run out, then its sand time I guess.

Maybe for the next watering you should water from the bottom (eg. sit pot in water) that way it should stop the top layer getting damp and growing

Stunted Greenery
:smokebuds:

 

[Mr Piggy]

Oh yeah, that time I used hydroton as a mulch I didn't get algae. I keep water from the top and bottom with the majority of it coming up from the bottom. I feel my plants like it better if at least a little comes down from the top, but I have no evidence nor good logic to back this up.

 

[Muddy]

Just mix up the top layer of soil and that should take care of the algae. You might redirect your circulation fan so it's blowing more on the soil to increase circulation and dry out the top layer a little quicker.

 

[The Squid]

Thanks Muddy. My fan is more or less pointed at the party cups. If I pointed it right at them they dance around a lot and wasn't sure how much bobbin' around for seedlings was good. It's day 3 from flush so they are beginning to dry out some. And yeah I just mixed it around and left it.