Mold on Plant Soil | How to Remove? | Easy Methods

Mold is a living microorganism belonging to the fungus family. Thousands of different types of mold are found all around the globe. A single spore of a mold is so tiny that the naked eye cannot see it. Mold spores are present in the atmosphere all the time throughout the year. Being gardeners, we all face the problem of mold on plant soil. Several factors help the growth of mold. In this article, we will help to get rid of this fungus using an easy method.

Although white mold does not cause any severe harm to the soil or to the plant like cause by other fungus and microorganisms. But it spoils the beauty of the plant as it make them look nasty and unclean. Mold is very common in places with cool climates or during the winter season. Let us see how to remove mold from the soil.

Contents

Reason for Mold on Plant Soil

The white color mold found on the soil of the plant is called Saprophytic Fungus. It is a very common type of fungus that can occur very often due to several factors. White mold is a natural fungus that lives in the soil, and it does not cause any major harm to the plant.

Mold can grow on the soil easily, and there is nothing to panic about because they are easy to remove. Although weather and climate are the main reasons for the mold to grow, some more factors support the life of the mold.

Weather Conditions

Weather plays a very crucial role in the growth of mold on the soil. Therefore, people living in cold and wet climates face this problem more frequently than those living in places with hot and dry climates.

Lightning Conditions

It is common to observe that mold grows more often in places or areas with little or no light. Similarly, plants that receive a good amount of sunlight have a very low chance of getting mold on the soil as the heat and UV rays do not allow the mold to grow. Experts suggests keeping your pot on the balcony or near a window to get the maximum sunlight. Or one can install artificial/growing lights as an alternative source of sunlight.

Watering Conditions

Moisture is the key element that promotes the growth of the mold. Damp and moist soil has a higher tendency to grow mold than dry soil. Therefore, people living in wet climates are suggested to water their plants only when about 2 inches of soil is dry from the top.

Is Mold Bad for Plants?

According to most Gardeners, Mold does not cause any major damage to the plant as it is a fungus found naturally in the soil. Although white mold can make your plant look messy, it does not harm the overall growth of the plant. Therefore, mold never causes a deadly threat to your plants.

How to Get Rid of Mold on Plant Soil?

Most of the articles and videos available on the internet make it look like a ready deadly plant fungus. But there are various easy ways of removing this white mold from the soil, and the most common amongst them all is Digging or Scraping.

Digging or Scraping

White mold is formed on the top layer of the soil, and it can be easily removed by digging or scraping the soil gently. In this method, we need to mix the top layer of the soil well to eliminate the visible fungus growth.

This process is essentially performed to disturb mold growth, and it can be done very easily using a tool called ‘Soil Scraper’. After scraping, add a little sprinkle of a little amount of fungicide or wood ash to prevent mold growth.

Best Ways to Prevent Mold on Plant Soil

As already mentioned, molds due to damp soil moisture and weather conditions, and if you want to prevent it from growing frequent, you need to regulate certain conditions:

Watering: The plant should only be watered when the 2inchec of the soil from the top has dried up.
Sunlight: The plant’s pot should be kept in a sunny place to receive a good amount of sunlight. In the case of indoor plants, we should use artificial grow light.
Drainage: Overwatering may cause the white mold to occur more frequently. Pots having drainage systems are less prone to this fungus.

Conclusion

White mold occurs due to the fungi spores present in the atmosphere. Although it is not harmful but an excessive amount of this fungus may decrease the air circulation for the plant’s roots. Hence it becomes important to remove this fungus and take required measures to prevent it. We have compiled a short guide to help you with the topic – How to Get Rid of Mold on Plant Soil.

In this brief article, we have described the various reasons for this problem to occur and have provided you with the solution to help you get rid of white mold. We have mentioned all the information to the best of our knowledge, but if you find anything irrelevant, do let us know in the comment section below.