“By decomposing organic matter, molds play a big part in material biodegradation, enabling decay and rot necessary in all ecosystems.” Science Daily In short, mold helps provide nutrients for your potted plants! These smaller nutrients can be used by beneficial microbes and better absorbed by the roots of plants. ![]() ![]() Mold typically occurs on wet soil and is designed to decompose organic soil matter, further breaking down the nutrients into smaller pieces. Still, it can be helpful to know that mold is a perfectly normal and helpful occurrence in nature. Like mosquitos, it can be hard to think that mold has a place in the circle of life (seriously, what purpose do mosquitos really have?). ![]() By providing a consistently wet growing medium, like potting soil, mold will likely grow and will be hard to kill. The only exception to this is if you’re using sterilized soil. Almost all soils will have mold spores of some kind. Mold is a vital part of nature as its job is to decompose matter in the soil. Get 7 days free and 10% off with the code: TYLER10 Why Mold Grows on Potting Soil Need help gardening or homesteading? Join me and 14,000 others in Abundance Plus and get masterclasses, community, discounts, and more. So, while mold growing on potting soil can be a frustrating event, what are some more details as to why it happens, and how can we get rid of it? Most soils will have mold spores, so by simply keeping your potting soil damp or wet, mold is encouraged to grow. In nature, the sun and wind help dry the top of the soil out between waterings, but this can be difficult for indoor plants. Mold grows on potting soil because of consistent and excess moisture. So, why does mold grow on potting soil, and how we can get rid of it? After getting mold quite a few times myself (on my microgreens, basil, and compost bin), I decided to put this issue to bed and add the tips that worked for me into a blog post. Spring your seedlings with ground activated charcoal.Īny of these methods to help prevent and cure the damping off.Recently, I had a reader let me know they had mold growing on their potted Persian lime tree’s soil.Sprinkle your seedlings with ground cinnamon.In a 32 oz spray bottle, mix 2-4 TBSPs of strong brewed chamomile tea and mist seedlings to cure damping off.Mist your seedlings with this mixture to cure damping off. In a 32 oz spray bottle, mix 1 TBSP (or 1/2 ounce) of 3% hydrogen peroxide with water. ![]() If damping off occurs, try one or more of these methods to “nip it in the bud!” (Pun intended!).If you are reusing any pots, be sure to wash in hot soapy water rinsed well to kill and get rid of old bacteria from previous plantings. Start with clean or new seed starting pots.If damping off does occur, here’s some natural ways to take care of it! Do this at the first signs of damping off or mold! If you overwater, you can use a fan to help dry out the excess water. Once they have sprouted, we then water with a little bit of water and keep uncovered. When we plant our seedlings, we mist to water with a spray bottle and cover with plastic wrap. It is usually caused from overwatering and/or too much humidity. You do want to get rid of this as it can cause disease and damage to your seeds, plants and crops. We have been vegetable gardening for a few years now and there is one issue that has come up on occasion when starting our seeds inside – it is called “damping off.” This is basically mold or fungus that develops in the soil or at the base of your seedlings.
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