Article content
Even a good grower who properly cares for their plants may have already encountered white mold in a flowerpot. This problem is not only of an aesthetic nature, but can also endanger the plant, not to mention your health if you have such a plant in the bedroom. Do not throw it away; there is a solution for white mold. We would like to reveal one such solution to you.
Get rid of mold with a trowel
You can find mold not only on the substrate but also on the leaves, where it most often appears as black mold. If the mold is already at that stage, you need to act as quickly as possible. Surely you do not want to kill the plant and you certainly do not want to breathe air full of microbes. Keep in mind that the mold did not appear out of nowhere, but most often because the substrate is too wet, and for a long time. In summer the occurrence of mold is milder — it is warmer and you ventilate more, but in winter it is worse. Moreover, plants are in a dormant state in winter and definitely do not need so much watering. If you see that the mold is only on the surface in a small cluster, take a small trowel or another scoop and simply remove the soil and throw it away, preferably into the trash. Do not refill the soil yet; first let the substrate in the pot dry for several days. If the mold has spread to the leaves or there is a larger amount on the soil, it is better to repot the plant. Remove it from the pot, discard the soil and let the plant dry on newspapers at least until the evening. The roots will dry out slightly. As soon as you put new substrate into the pot, mix it with cinnamon — it works as a fungicide. It also pays to fight mold preventively in the form of mulching.
Mulching is not just a decorative element
It is not only a decoration but a very useful thing that protects the plant. It maintains optimal moisture and protects against pests and annoying gnats. Simply choose a mulching material and pour it into the pot around the plant. And if you do not want to go to a garden center or spend money on special mulching mixes, you can certainly manage with natural ingredients you have at home. Use walnut shells. Just spread them over the soil. Do not crush them; it is unnecessary. Place them with the convex side up and distribute them everywhere, pressed tightly against each other.
Pebbles
Another solution is small pebbles. The condition is that they must be perfectly clean. After drying, place the pebbles into the pot. Do not skimp on the pebbles; the layer should be one to two centimeters thick.
Well-known perlite and vermiculite
You can get perlite and vermiculite at any garden center. These materials are often used for mulching, but also as a mix in substrate. So one of these materials will be a great choice. Vermiculite is fine and looks like golden sand, while perlite is white and creates a beautiful structure in the soil. Because of their appearance, it will be suitable to place one of these materials even in modern interiors where you place great emphasis on aesthetics. It should be noted that neither material should exceed a height of two centimeters in the pot. Do not forget to give the plant moderate but regular watering. Porous materials will absorb excess water.
