If you’ve made it this far, it’s because your plants have grown a white fluff above the ground and you don’t know what’s causing it.
This form of down on the surface of the substrate is nothing but a set of filamentous fungi present in the environment.
Yes, in the environment, clean or not.
In conditions of high soil humidity in our pots, they usually appear as circles with variable geometries and a hairy white appearance, due to the production of filaments or hyphae.
Mold in plant soil, is it beneficial or is it bad and should it be eliminated?
We will answer you in this article.
Contents
Why does mold appear in the soil of plants?
This mold, which appears on plants where they are often watered, live in a humid environment or use a substrate rich in organic matter (even when coffee grounds are used), is a set of varied micro-organisms which live from the decomposition of organic matter.
Mold is a fungus that appears on the surface layer of the earth and reproduces when there is humidity associated with warm temperatures (like those in our house).
In 99% of cases, they do not damage the substrate or the plant. In fact, quite the opposite can happen. The decomposition of organic matter causes release nutrients into the substrate that the plant can take advantage of.
In fact, if mold appears in small quantities, there is nothing to worry about, because it would be part of the natural process of the soil.
The problem arises when the mold begins to be more consistent and voluminous. Physically it is not pleasant at all and also may stain ceramic potsforming black stains that are difficult to remove except with a scouring sponge.
How to remove mold from your pot?
Although we have already confirmed that this mold that appears in the substrate of your pots does not affect the plantif you consider it unpleasant, it stains your pot or you have an emotional conflict that can affect the health of humans or pets (which is not the case), at this point we give you some tips for remove mold from your pot.
Cleaning mushroom plants from the substrate is a simple method, as long as you follow these steps:
- Eliminate soil affected by white mold by removing the top layer of soil in the pot that has been affected by the mold. To do this, you can use a hand shovel. You will only need to remove about 2 centimeters from the surface of the substrate.
- Once you have removed the layer of mold from the pot, remove the soil from the plant, taking care not to damage the roots. This technique will help you aerate the soil and get rid of excess moisture in it. Allow a few days to pass and fill the top layer of your pot with substrate.
What was easy?
What to do if mold has stained the pot?
In this case, the most effective remove the plant from the pot and remove mold-damaged soil. In addition, you will need to disinfect the pot in the following way:
- Use apple cider vinegar to spray it on any mold stains on the jar.
- Using a metallic sponge and a neutral soap, it will be necessary to rub the whole pot well.
- Rinse with water and immerse it in lukewarm water with plenty of apple cider vinegar and a few drops of neutral soap.
- Then leave the pot immersed for 15 minutes.
- After this time, rub the pot again and rinse it with clear water.
- When you have it, put it to dry in the sun and place the plant there when it is completely dry.
It is important that you know that if you don’t have apple cider vinegar, you can also use baking soda as it acts as a fungicide.
What if mold affects the plant?
In some extreme cases, an excess of humidity in the substrate can cause the appearance of certain neutral and pathogenic fungi on the plant, especially at the base of the stem or even on the lower leaves.
If the leaves of the plant have been affected by mold, it is important to clean them in the following way:
Try to remove the mold with a soft cloth that it is completely dry. But if you see that it does not work, you will have to use specific products so as not to damage the plant.
The best way to prevent mold from affecting the plant is to check its condition frequently. This way, if you catch mold early on, it will never affect the plant.
In the latter cases, you can also spray the plant with a copper solution as a fungicide. The most common forms of copper are copper oxychloride or copper hydroxide.
How to prevent the appearance of mold on plants?
The best way to prevent the appearance of mold on the support is to properly control the humidity of the substrate and to ventilate frequently:
- Use adequate irrigation, as excess water can cause mold.
- Frequently ventilate the room where the plant is located. Especially if they are indoor plants or if they are in a place with too much sun exposure.
- Frequently check the drainage of your pot. Because if the pot does not have good drainage, water will accumulate in it and generate mold.
- Frequently check the top soil layer of your plants to prevent mold growth and keep it clean of impurities.
To prevent the appearance of mold, it is recommended to remove this layer once every two months. With this you will ensure that the plant is airy and you will avoid the appearance of mold.
Make sure the stems and leaves are clean, because if they rot or deteriorate, they can cause mold.
We hope that these tips have been very useful for you to avoid mold on the ground from plants.