Mold on potting soil: How to save your plants from spoiling!

Transparenz: Redaktionell erstellt und geprüft.
Veröffentlicht am

Find out how you recognize mold on potting soil, avoid causes and pour plants correctly to prevent damage to health.

Mold on potting soil: How to save your plants from spoiling!

A white covering on potting soil can be both mold and harmless deposits such as lime or minerals. According to reports from Ruhr24 this is often created by salts in the water or when it comes to lime-containing tap water or when plants near a heat are placed, which accelerates the evaporation.

While mineral deposits are harmless to the plants, Schimmel is a serious problem that should not be ignored. Mold is fluffy and soft, in contrast to the hard, crumbly lime deposits. A simple scratch test can help to recognize the difference.

causes and risks of mold

The causes of mold in potting soil are diverse. The most common are casting too frequent, which leads to permanent theses, a high proportion of humus in the earth that can disturb the biological balance, as well as poor ventilation. These conditions significantly favor mold formation. According to Plantling , most mold can be harmless, but some, especially for allergy sufferers, represent a health risk.

To combat mold, experts recommend several steps. First of all, affected plants should be brought outside. Then it is important to cut off the moldy surface, take the plant out of the pot and knock the earth. The pot should be cleaned thoroughly before the plant is planted again with fresh earth.

prevention against mold

preventive measures are crucial to avoid mold formation. The earth should be allowed to dry slightly between the casting gears, while potting soil should be used with a high mineral proportion. The plants must not be watered too often, especially in summer, and the earth should be loosened up regularly and dead plant parts should be removed.

In addition, home remedies can be used for mold prevention. A mixture of 20 ml of tea tree oil with a liter of water that is sprayed onto the surface of the earth is considered effective. The covering of the earth's surface with mineral components such as bloating tone can also promote drying.

-transmitted by West-Ost-media

Quellen: