White coating on the ground in a potis a common problem faced by owners of indoor plants. Such a phenomenon may have two origins. The white coating may be the result of bad water that we water the plants or it may be caused by the development of mold fungi. Find out about these two reasons for the appearance of a white coating on the ground in a pot and see how to get rid of it.
White coating on the ground in a pot - mold
Often it is not so much white asyellow raid on the ground in a pot This is a sign that the water you water your plants is too hard. The sediment that we see on the surface of the earth in the pot is a limestone sediment. You can fight him in several ways. First of all, you should stop watering your plants with tap water. Water for watering must be left standing for at least one day.
Instead of standing water, we can water plants with water with the addition of citric acid (about half a teaspoon per 1 liter of water), which should neutralize the calcareous compounds. If you do not want to use citric acid, an effective water softener can be purchased from a garden center. In this case, follow the dosing instructions on the packaging.
Oftenthe white coating on the ground in the potdoes not come from too hard water but is a result of mold on the ground in the pot. So how do you distinguish one sediment from another? Well, the mold on the ground in the pot looks as if the surface is covered with a fluffy and soft coating.In fact, it is a white or brown compact mycelium, often with numerous spores.
A common cause forfungus to appear on the ground in a potis watering too much, which greatly increases the moisture content of the substrate . If the temperature is high, and the room is not ventilated and lighted, we will create ideal conditions for the development ofmold on the ground in a potThis is a much more dangerous phenomenon for our plants thanwhite sediment on the ground in the potfrom too hard water, as the mold in the pot is harmful to plants.
So how to fight thefungus on the ground in a pot ? First, you should limit watering. The top layer of the substrate must be allowed to dry a bit. The plant can also be moved to a more bright place, where the room will be regularly aired. It is also advisable to treat the substrate surfaces with a fungicide, i.e. a fungicide.You can use Target Topsin M 500 SC, available in small packages for amateurs.
If we prefer to use natural methods, cinnamon can be used. This highly valued kitchen spice has a strong antibacterial and antifungal effect. It's worth taking advantage of this and sprinkling ground cinnamon on the soil in the pot. This will speed up the elimination of the mold and prevent it from reappearing.
Also remember that the appearance ofwhite mold bloom on the ground in the potis favored by a too dense, dense substrate, which tends to keep too much moisture. Therefore, when transplanting plants, remember that the soil you buy for potted flowers should be of good quality, fertile, but at the same time light and airy. Soils with added loosening material, e.g. perlite, work well.
Katarzyna Matuszak