Mold in pots of indoor plants: types, causes and methods of struggle

The cultivation of indoor flowers brings a lot of pleasant emotions to flower growers. Any room looks much more comfortable and attractive if it contains green plants. They have high decorative properties - the beauty of foliage, a riot of colorful inflorescences, and a pleasant aroma. However, the impression of the flower's appearance can be spoiled if mold builds up in the pot where it grows. This problem is completely solvable if you know the factors conducive to the formation of mold, and the measures for its destruction.

It is customary to call mold colonies of fungi that are formed due to their excessive growth and reproduction. This is a rather unpleasant phenomenon from an aesthetic point of view, and in addition, it poses a danger not only for the plant, but also for human health. Mycelium growing in a flower pot can be of several varieties.

• White mold - is the result of active growth of the mucor fungus. This is the most common species with the ability to infect the soil surface and even parts of the ornamental plants themselves. Such a fungus multiplies on rotting organic matter, food debris, animal products and when irrigated with water containing organic matter. The fungus actively spreads its spores into the environment and poses a danger to human health, causing the development of allergic reactions or an infectious lung disease - mucormycosis, when spores are inhaled.
• Black mold - grows in places with high humidity and organic matter. Its color ranges from dark gray to black. This is the most difficult to remove fungus, which provokes the development of allergies and contributes to severe infectious lung diseases that are difficult to treat. In flower soil, this type of mold is rare, but when it appears, it will be very difficult to eliminate it.
• Blue mold - represents the growth of colonies on soil and plant trunks of light blue color. This variety is dangerous for the flower in that its lignified parts are destroyed under the influence of the fungus. In a short period of time, a houseplant can be destroyed by this aggressive type of mold.

Often so-called efflorescences appearing on the soil and the walls of the pot can be mistaken for mold. Efflorescences are mineral salts that crystallize when plants are watered. If the soil contains an excess of certain chemical components, then over time, with excessive watering, they will show themselves as spots of yellowish-brown color. Sometimes at the foot of indoor plants you can see moss of a bright green hue. This saprophyte with moderate growth will not cause anything bad to the plant.

Mold can grow on the soil of a flower pot only under certain conditions. If you notice that the soil is covered with a fluffy bloom, this should be a signal for you that serious mistakes have been made in caring for the flower.

• Excess watering Is the most common cause of mold. Soil acidity and constant dampness in a flower pot is a breeding ground for microorganisms that will lead to the death of a houseplant.
• Poor or no drainage - this is a consequence of the fact that the water in the flower pot cannot find a way out. Even if you follow all the rules for watering, moisture will still accumulate, and the soil will turn sour.
• Incorrect temperature conditions Is another factor contributing to mold growth. If there is little sunlight and heat in the room, but, on the contrary, it is cold and damp, the growth of microorganisms will not take long. In winter, when the resting phase of plants begins, watering should be reduced as much as possible - this will allow the flower to gain strength and prevent the growth of fungi.
• Excessive air humidity - like other unfavorable conditions, causes the growth of mold. High humidity is especially dangerous when the temperature drops, since all fungal diseases of plants are activated in such an environment.
• Acidity level - if the soil has an alkaline environment, this provokes the growth of fungal spores. The likelihood of its active growth increases if the soil is heavy and poorly air-permeable, and the moisture in it tends to stagnate.

Often, the appearance of mold is preceded by the reproduction of a small flower fly on the soil surface. It feeds on organic matter and multiplies rather quickly, laying eggs in the upper layer of the soil. Fly larvae can be harmful to the root system of plants.

If you see that the soil is growing moldy in pots of indoor plants, simply scraping the colonies of the fungus from the surface of the soil will not solve the problem - after a while, foci of mold will form again. If you do not start to fight this in a timely manner, then soon mold spores, due to rapid growth and favorable conditions, will appear not only on the soil, but also on the flowers and leaves of a houseplant, slowly leading it to death.

Mold treatment is not only providing emergency assistance to a houseplant, but also changing the conditions for its further maintenance.

If mold is found it is required to stop watering, drain the moisture from the pallet and perform a number of manipulations.

• Carefully remove the topsoil and remove it from the flower pot, taking care not to damage the flower's root system. The removed soil must be thrown away and no longer used for plants. If this procedure is not followed, the mycelium of the fungus will penetrate deeper and deeper into the soil, worsening the condition of the plant and complicating the fight against mold.
• Dilute 1 tsp in a glass of water. citric acid and pour the remaining soil in the pot with the resulting solution. In an acidic environment, fungi do not multiply, and their growth will be suspended. As for the plant, such a procedure is safe for him.
• You will need to replace the removed soil layer with fresh soil, to which crushed charcoal is added. Such an additive will be a natural filter for the moisture entering during irrigation.
• Then the flower must be watered with a disinfectant. For example, you can dilute 2 g of "Fundazole" in 1000 ml of water. If the mold has also affected parts of the plant, then it can be sprayed with the same solution from a spray bottle. Spraying should be carried out in rubber gloves and a respirator, the procedure should be carried out in a warm room, so as not to aggravate the already weakened state of the flower affected by fungi.

In the future, the watering regime should be observed and the houseplant should not be flooded with an excessive amount of water, and 2 times a month it will be necessary to regularly treat the soil with a citric acid solution as a preventive measure for the development of mold.

A radical method of getting rid of mold in a flower pot is to transplant a plant. This can be done as follows:

• We carefully remove the plant from the flower pot and clean its roots as much as possible from the soil infected with the fungus;
• we place the soil in a container and spill it with boiling water, let the water drain;
• sprinkle the soil in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake it in the oven for 15-20 minutes, after which we let it cool completely;
• wash the flower pot thoroughly with soap, and then treat it with a disinfectant and rinse with hot boiling water;
• pour a layer of expanded clay on the bottom of the dry pot and lay the prepared soil;
• we wash the roots of the plant with running water and treat with any fungicidal agent;
• we plant the plant in prepared soil.

To prevent the development of mold in flower pots, when growing indoor plants at home, they need to create optimal conditions for growth:

• water the plant only as the topsoil dries up in the flower pot;
• in autumn and spring, when the air temperature is low, it is advisable not to use air humidifiers in the room;
• do not place flower pots in places where they can be exposed to drafts;
• provide the indoor flower with a sufficient level of illumination;
• feed the plants with complex fertilizers, do not scatter the remains of tea leaves, egg shells and other organic matter in pots.

Every month, for preventive purposes, each houseplant should be watered with a solution of citric acid or potassium permanganate of low concentration. Preventing the development of a fungal infection is easier than getting rid of mold when it appears.

For information on how to get rid of mold and white bloom in pots of indoor plants, see the next video.