Question
I planted some datura seeds in special jiffy seed soil kit with a plastic dome. after they hit the top, I removed it, and after they grew a little bit more I split them and put them in miracle grow soil,but the soil seems to be growing some white cotton like fungus. will this hurt? How tall should the seedlings be before I split them up? I put about 4 seeds in each pod, and sometime they all come up!

Answer
Hi Ester,
Thanx for your question.  The cotton substance you describes sounds like damping off disease which is a fungus caused by dampness with no air circulation.  You can minimize or prevent this by using a thin layer of milled spghagnum moss over your seeds just after planting or you can buy a spray anti-fungal at the nursery.  Some seedlings can survive damping off disease but many do not and what will happen is the fungus will eventually attack the stems and rot them and the seedlings will die.  If you have the seedlings covered, I would remove the cover immediately.  Place the planting medium in front of a cirulating or oscillating fan on low speed and allow the fan to blow on the seedlings.  This will aerate the plants and cause some  evaporation of excess moisture which may kill the damping off disease and save your seedlings.  When the seedlings are large enough to handle, I would separate them and plant them in separate cells until they are ready to go outdoors.  Remember, when you take them outdoors, they need to be acclimated by placing them in the shade for 10 days and then they should be planted in full sun.  Also, datura cannot be planted outdoors until after the last frost.  I hope this helps.
Tom