Help, my plant is moldy!

Is it mold or not?

Most plant owners suspect mold on the soil when a white coating appears on the potting soil. However, the coating can also be lime or other minerals. This is especially true if you placed your plant on a window sill above a radiator.

The irrigation water evaporates on the upper side of the root ball. The minerals contained in the irrigation water remain on the potting soil and cause a white layer that some plant owners mistake for mold.

Test: mold or minerals?

To find out what the coating on your potting soil is, take a small wooden stick and scrape off a bit of the top layer. If this layer is hard and crumbly, it is mineral deposits and not mold.

Lime deposits are just an optical problem. You can easily remove them from the surface with e.g. a spoon or a shovel. If necessary, add some fresh potting soil to the pot and the problem is solved.

Mould on the plant - what to do?

Okay, it's not entirely true that your whole plant is moldy. Because most likely only the leaves or the soil were attacked by mold. But how did it get there and what's next?

Mould on indoor plants is common and with good reason. The comfortably warm living room with low temperature fluctuations offers perfect conditions for mould. In contrast to nature, where the plant is exposed to relatively large temperature fluctuations.

The potting soil plays an important role in mold growth. Because on the one hand the earth is moistened and offers optimal opportunity for mould, and on the other hand mold also develops from falling rotten leaves.

Fight mold on plants

As soon as you discover mold on the potting soil, there is only one thing left to do: repot. This is best done outside. Because in the apartment there is a risk that more fungal spores will spread in the apartment.

The old soil with the mold infestation should be disposed of completely. The roots are exposed and rinsed with water.

To be on the safe side, you should also rinse the entire pot with hot water and vinegar, because it can also be contaminated. Then put it back in fresh soil.

In the case of mold on the plant leaves, opinions differ as to what the correct treatment method is. The simplest first aid is to cut off the affected leaves and spray the remaining ones with fungicide.

A common type of leaf mold is powdery mildew. This mold is easily combated with baking soda. All you have to do is spray on the surface of the leaf (the dosage is important here, one packet of baking powder per liter) and the pH value rises to 7, which mildew doesn't like at all.

How you don't let it happen in the first place

Mould pores love moisture. Be it potting soil or high humidity. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the humidity in the room is always appropriate. You should also be careful not to water your plant too often.

If the potting soil is always damp, it only attracts mold. So: the water must not stand still! Likewise, the water should not accumulate in the coaster. So pour off excess water to avoid waterlogging.

Location also plays an important role in susceptibility to mold growth.If the plant is in a warm and humid place, such as near a heater or in the blazing sun, this also promotes mold attack

Why mold on plants is also harmful for you and your loved ones

The mold is not only a danger for the plant, because most of the toxic particles are transmitted into the air that we breathe. Airway contamination can trigger an allergy or a toxic reaction, among other things.

If you have your plant in your room, you should be careful not to turn your apartment into a greenhouse. The warning even goes so far as to say that if you have a weak immune system or are prone to allergies, you should avoid having plants within your four walls altogether.

With the right care, mold on your plant is easy to prevent. Are you interested in more green roommates? Then take a look at our shop, here all kinds of plants are waiting to be discovered by you.