Question
My kids planted watermelon seeds and sunflower seeds the sunflower wilted and has white stuff on the soil and now the watermelon plant is getting white on the soil aswell. What should I do to prevent this?

Answer
Hi Jessica, The white stuff I'm sure is fungus but I suspect it wasn't the cause of the plants to die.  However, its presence tells me there is decomposing organic matter and abundant moisture and I'm guessing water is the real cause.  Excessive moisture leads to root rot which causes a plant to wilt because it's lost feeder roots and cannot absorb water.  Most people then water a wilted plant when in reality it needs to dry, get some air in the soil and develop new roots.  Rake the stuff away from the base of your watermelons just to be safe,  Any decomposing material that touches a stem may give you grief.  If you replant, plant on hills so gravity helps improve your drainage.  Jim