Sprouting seeds causes fluffy white mold

Question

I'm trying to sprout a seed mix for inclusion in salads, which is sometimes called "microgreens". According to my seed bag, I'm sprouting a mix of broccoli, radish, alfalfa and clover. I keep getting white fluffy mold on the sprouts, as shown in the photos below:

It occurs in both sprouting methods I use:

1. A plastic tray with holes at the bottom to avoid stagnant water
2. A jar with a steel-mesh top for drainage, where the steel-mesh top is downwards facing so it should be draining all the excess water

How do I prevent this mold? Am I watering the seeds too often? I leave them beside some potted plants, is it possible the mold is coming from there?

Answer 1

It is not mold, it is root cilia, also called root hair. You can tell because it's localized to specific sprouts.

Mold has a smell, but root cilia is oderless. Some websites also claim root cilia is removed by rinsing and isn't slimy. This has not been my experience.