Too much moisture, the wrong location, there are many factors that cause mold on houseplants. Read this article to find out how you should act in this case to avoid the complete death of your plants.
How to treat and prevent mold on houseplants?
To treat mold on houseplants, it is important to repot the plant, remove rotting or diseased leaves and, if spores recur, discard the plant. To prevent mold, ensure regular repotting, good drainage and high-quality potting soil.
Houseplants are particularly often affected
Mold spores spread at breakneck speed when it is wet and warm at the same time. Especially in closed rooms, these conditions often arise from unconscious mistakes. In the fresh air, temperatures change daily, sometimes hourly. However, the house is constantly heated, which encourages the formation of mold.
Be careful when waterlogged
It's the same with moisture. Plants in the garden are constantly exposed to changing weather conditions. Most often, rainfall replaces regular watering. Completely different with houseplants. Here you have full responsibility for the he alth of your plants. Unfortunately, many plant lovers mean too well and promote mold formation with incorrect watering behavior. If watering intervals are too short, the substrate remains permanently moist. The wetness prevents the roots from breathing by compacting the soil. Root rot occurs, which causes the plant to die sooner or later.
Danger to humans
Mold is actually a normal part of the ecosystem. Some spores are just dead plant parts, i.e. organic material. Other types can cause massive damage to your he alth. The spores also spread into ceilings and walls and decompose buildings.
Detecting mold
Mold can be easily recognized by the white coating on leaves or the surface of the substrate. But most of the time it is already too late to save the plant. In the early stages, the tiny pores are invisible to the human eye. Therefore, pay close attention to the location conditions mentioned above.
Treatment measures
If you discover the symptoms mentioned on your houseplant, you need to act quickly.
Remove mold
- Repot the plant into fresh substrate
- completely remove rotting or diseased leaves
- If spores recur, the only solution is to dispose of the plant
Prevent mold
- Repot the plant regularly (preferably in spring)
- Prevent waterlogging in the flower pot with drainage (incorporate a layer of gravel, make sure there is a drain)
- only use high-quality potting soil (€12.00 on Amazon)
Note: Sometimes the spores are already commercially available in the soil.
