Mold on the potting soil: This has to be done now!

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Mold on the potting soil: This has to be done now!

Mold on the potting soil is common in the cold season. You can find out what to do then in the house and garden guide on TAG24!

Especially in the cold season, an unwelcome phenomenon becomes noticeable with indoor plants: mold on the potting soil! If nothing is done to prevent the infestation, the plant can die and your own health can suffer.

Read the guide for here Home & Gardenwhich you can do with few resources so that your plants recover quickly and no new mold forms in the future.

How dangerous is mold on potting soil?

Mold on potting soil poses risks for people and plants alike.

Mold on potting soil poses risks for people and plants alike. © 123RF/mitand73

It is not uncommon for a white, fluffy-soft coating to form on the soil in the flower pot from one day to the next. A mold has found a new breeding ground. However, this is not just an optical flaw. Also, this visible plaque is only part of the problem.

Because mold fungi usually run through the entire root ball with their mycelium.

Excessive mold growth can lead to the death of the plant, since the mold damages the fine root hairs and they can then no longer absorb water and nutrients.

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But your own health can also be affected. Above all, people who are prone to allergic or chronic respiratory diseases can experience severe symptoms when there are higher concentrations of mold spores in the air. In the worst case, they can even trigger asthma attacks.

To prevent this from happening in the first place, you should act quickly if a flower pot is infected with mold and thus prevent the spores from spreading further.

Is it really mold on the plant or just lime?

Not every white coating on the potting soil necessarily indicates mold. Sometimes you’re lucky and it’s just limescale. These form when watering with hard water.

You can simply scratch the apparent mold with a wooden stick or toothpick. If the surface remains crumbly and hard, you are lucky and it is a question of calcareous deposits. In this case it is sufficient if the top layer of potting soil is simply scraped off with a spoon and replaced with a bit of fresh soil.

If the white coating is more like a delicate down, it is mold. This is often accompanied by a musty smell of the earth.

In this case, it is important to act quickly.

Mold on the potting soil? This is to do!

When repotting, you should use high-quality potting soil.

When repotting, you should use high-quality potting soil. © Unsplash/Neslihan Gunaydin

If there is real mold in the potting soil, it should be removed as soon as possible.

This is the best way to do it:

1. First, bring the affected flower pot outdoors or place it temporarily in a well-ventilated place, such as the hallway. Now the room or the entire apartment should be thoroughly aired.

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2. Now the plant is repotted. For this purpose, the earth is removed from the root ball all around as much as possible. If necessary, rinse the roots under running water. What is left now is the pure plant without soil.

3. Now the flower pot is thoroughly cleaned with a brush. To effectively get rid of the mold spores, it is recommended to use a warm vinegar solution.

4. Finally, the houseplant is placed in a pot with new, high-quality potting soil. To allow excess water to drain away, there should be a drainage layer of a few centimeters at the bottom of the pot. Potsherds, clay granules or lava splittings are suitable for this.

To prevent the mold spores from spreading further, you should not repot the plant in your home.

Why does mold form on potting soil?

To prevent mold, high-quality soil and the right watering behavior help.

To prevent mold, high-quality soil and the right watering behavior help. © Unsplash/Brina Blum

Basically, mold can form on any potting soil that has a higher humus content.

Mold on the potting soil can usually be traced back to two causes:

1. Wrong watering behaviour:

Some people over water and water their houseplant more than it can use.

If the soil is permanently damp or the water cannot run off, a stubborn mold growth quickly develops, especially in the cold months and with little ventilation.

2. Potting soil with a high compost content:

Potting soil can go moldy faster the higher the proportion of organic material such as peat or humus. But even if the potting soil has been stored incorrectly or for too long, mold can quickly form inside, especially if the foil packaging has already been opened.

How do you prevent mold from growing again?

If you heed a few tips, the plant will not be attacked by mold in the first place.

If you follow a few tips, the plant will not be attacked by mold in the first place. © Unsplash/Giulia Bertelli

To prevent future mold growth on the potting soil, here are some tips:

1. Provide a good drainage layer

It has already been mentioned that a drainage layer to drain off excess water is extremely important. Expanded clay, potsherds or lava gravel are very suitable for this.

2. Better to water a little too little than too much

When watering, it is advisable to water a little too little rather than the root ball being in a permanently wet state. The surface of the potting soil should be dry before watering again.

3. Reduce water requirements in winter

You should also note that plants often need less water in winter than in summer. Accordingly, the casting quantity should be significantly reduced anyway. To protect the plant from dry heating air, you can instead spray it with a little water once a day.

4. Ventilate extensively at least once a day

Another reason why mold occurs on earth is that there is too little air movement. For this reason, even in winter, the entire apartment should be ventilated with open doors and windows at least once a day.

5. Avoid peat-free soil

For a long time, plant lovers have been called upon to refrain from using potting soil containing peat, as this is not very sustainable. But it is also worth switching to peat-free alternatives with regard to mold growth. It is also worthwhile to mix a little coconut substrate under the chosen potting soil, as this can also store a lot of water and gradually release it to the plant.

With the tips you can usually tackle mold on the potting soil, but sometimes only repotting helps.

With the tips you can usually tackle mold on the potting soil, but sometimes only repotting helps. © 123rf/Thomas Koschnick

Conclusion: In the case of severe mold infestation, only repotting helps

There are several ways to avoid mold in the potting soil. One of the most important tips, however, is to rethink your own watering behavior and adapt it to the needs of the houseplant.

However, if the mold infestation is clearly visible on the soil, the plant should be repotted quickly and provided with new substrate to prevent it from dying.

Luckily, mold on potting soil is only a common problem between October and March, so the rest of the year it usually resolves itself.

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