Musty Smell in Tent

Sick Plants & Problems
#1

I noticed over the past couple of days that I get a waft of musty smell when I open my tent. Or at least I think so. I asked my wife and daughter to smell it. Daughter said, ya kinda like wet earth. Wife said, no it doesn’t smell bad.

I think it is isolated to one plant in particular, and the plant in question has a lot of kush in its lineage - which certainly can be “earthy”.

I’m paranoid, though. My first thought was that I have a mold issue. All the plants appear to be extremely healthy, though. No visible signs of mold anywhere. Although, I have to admit I didn’t get the jewelers loupe out and really go over them.

Any advice? What should I be looking for? If the smell is actually mold, how can I confirm it?

Temps are typically 20-25 C and RH is below 50%.

3 Likes
Randar Grows Some Dank
#2

the musty smell would be mold or mildew… if it’s coming from one plant try letting it dry out a bit or hit it with some peroxide mixed with water and spray the top of the soil down well and let it dry out a bit before watering again

3 Likes
#3

Thanks! Any recommendation on the water to peroxide ratio?

#4

Checked the smell again this morning. I definitely smell something “off” and it certainly is stronger when I smell that one suspect plant.

I am still not sure what is going on, but I decided to take action. Took the sprayer from a spray bottle and screwed on the top of a bottle of 3% USP H2O2 and heavily misted the plants and the top of the soil.

1 Like
#5

Following this endeavor because I for sure have some moldy-looking stuff on my fabric pots. Doesn’t seem to affect anything though

1 Like
#6

Yep, my fabric pots have a bit of whitish stuff on them, too. Not furry, more like powder. So maybe powdery mildew. Maybe that’s the smell? Nothing is actually growing on the plants as far as I can tell.

I’m going to get more H2O2 after work and keep hitting everything with it. Although, an app I have recommends “sulfur burn” and neem oil for powdery mildew.

2 Likes
#7

I dont know if it is PM - I had an infestation of it on my roses and it looked different, not fuzzy at all and excruciatingly difficult to kill. I ended up killing the rose bushes so that I dont drag it into the indoor garden

1 Like
#8

Roses usually get black spot or pm… black spot is hard to kill need copper fungicide and that’s only a preventive agent

1 Like
#9

Do you have carpet or such in your tent? Maybe got wet during watering?

1 Like
#10

Nope. The bottom of the tent is made of the same material as the sides; canvas coated in mylar. Waterproof.

It is basically bone dry in the tent except for the soil. Even the mylar under the fabric pots is dry, as I never water enough to create run-off.

2 Likes
#11

green cure or baking soda and a little dish soap for changing the ph and not allowing the mold or mildew to grow. if you have a a.c or dehumidifier clean the coils and your ventilation fans also.

2 Likes
#12

I’m still not convinced I have a mold or mildew issue, other than a bit of white stuff on the side of my fabric pots (which could actually be mineral precipitate).

The R.H. Never goes above 50% and is typically %40, so I don’t use a dehumidifier. Tons of internal air flow and plenty of air exchange. Everything in the tent is dry, dry, dry.

I will clean my intake fan, as that is the only thing I can think of that might need doing.

#13

Stated RH earlier was for the room the tent is in.

Moved the hygrometer into the tent and it is 20%.

#14

Another thought. Phantom smells and you are just tripping lol

1 Like
#15

The white on the side of the pots is most likely salts from nutes i get it on my fabric pots every grow

2 Likes
#16

My wife has a pretty good nose and she said it smells fine. I really do suspect it is the one plant that just smells earthy/musty. Photos I have seen with PM or mold don’t resemble my plants at all.

But I’m going to hit them a few more times with H2O2 because the first treatment seems to have done no harm. Better safe than sorry?

1 Like
#17

Ya, it was there last time I grew and there was no off smell. And I didn’t clean/wash them so some of it has to be from the last grow.

1 Like
#18

Soil staying wet for too long? How’s air flow? I’m sure ur already on it, but I’d recommend a small fan level with ur pots

#19

Soil staying wet? Maybe. I tend to underwater regularly rather than overwater irregularly, but it has never been an issue before. Drainage is excellent, however, and if I had root rot or some other issue due to too much water, the plants wouldn’t be nearly as healthy as they are.

This was 6 days ago and they look the same except I have defoliated more and removed some less productive side branches to thin things out and allow them to breath more. Cogitech's Conservatory

Air flow: 6" active intake rushing in the bottom, left to right - level with the pots, but angled up about 30 degrees to encourage that fresh air to move through the stalks. 6" fan blowing through top of canopy, right to left. The fan creates negative pressure which helps draw the intake air through the (defoliated) bottom third of the plants, and then up through the fan and across the canopy. 6" active exhaust with carbon filter. The fan that drives the exhaust is plenty powerful (so much so that I had to open a hole in the loop to reduce negative pressure in the tent (sides were sucking WAY in)).

#20

Some moulds are good for plants. Especially ones that grow in healthy soil.

If they are looking fine, no darkening of leaves or stalks and no white powder on them either, you probably just have some fungus in your soil helping to break it down.

1 Like