A white coating on the surface of the pot substrate is often a sign of mold growth. It is caused by fungi that not only reduce its attractiveness, but also limit the access of water to its roots. Therefore, it is worth acting immediately when we notice a problem to prevent the specimen from dying. We tell you what to do if mold attacks your plant.
In a pot, on the surface of the substrate or on the edges of the container, we can sometimes see white or brown dense mycelium with numerous spores. This means we have a mold problem. It also often forms as a white fluff on top of the soil.
At the initial stage, mold appears only on part of the surface. Over time, however, it takes over the entire surface area of the substrate. Most often, this problem occurs from autumn to spring, so it is during this period that we should increase the control of our plants.
The presence of mold is the result of several factors. Responsible for this may not belight selection, excessive watering or high air humidity. Improper substrate may also contribute to the appearance of mold. Therefore, it is worth making sure that the soil used for our potted flowers is not heavy and clayey, or too compact. The best solution is to plant the plant in light and fresh soil and ensure drainage at the bottom of the pot.
In addition, in the autumn and winter season we should avoid abundant watering of plants. If we see mold, the water supply should be reduced even further so that the top layer of the substrate dries completely.
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When mold appears in our pot, it affects not only the visual aspects. Its hyphae can penetrate deep into the substrate, which contributes to the wilting of the plant. In addition, it limits the evaporation of water, so the roots gradually begin to rot. Moreover, if we delay the removal of this problem for too long, the mold will tightly cover the soil surface, thus limiting the penetration of not only water but also salt into deeper layers of the substrate, which may cause the plant to die.
If we want to get rid of mold, we must act quickly. It is best to use a proven, home method for this. To do this, we need to use a product that most of us have in our kitchen. We are talking about the famous spice, cinnamon. It not only has a unique taste and smell, but also has antibacterial and antifungal properties, so it will perfectly cope with this problem.
Enough is enough sprinkle ground cinnamon on the soil surface. However, if the mold has already developed so much that the spice cannot cope with it, you should use special garden fungicides. Apart from that spring should be transfer the infected plant to a new substrate, making sure it is loose. Let’s also not forget to take care of the drainage layer.
