Hi Everyone,

I keep a lot of houseplants as well as my orchids, and i've been trying to find some definitive opinion on the white / grey mold that is growing on top of the soil in some of the pots. I've read that it is harmless and this seems to be true because I can see the mold attacking the soil not the living pant. It is maybe more of a worry for my av's. I've flushed with 2 tsp/gal physan a few times with no effect. does anyone else get this stuff in their pots?

justin

I think I know exactly what you are talking about. It is a sign that you need more air circulation! Physan really won't stop it, but increased airflow will. I had the same problem for a while and it went away when I added more fans in my atrium.

Yes, I also agree with Teresa about providing more air circulation.

i knew i was asking in the right place. you all have some kind of cultural e.s.p. i'm convinced.

poor ventilation sounds exactly correct. i will be adding a fan to this room right away.

thanks,
justin

You're most welcome, Justin! Also, when you add more fans, make sure you do not point the fans directly at the plants because that will dry out your plants very quickly. Instead, try and "bounce" the air movement direction off the walls or something like that. For my plants, I use ceiling fans which I think works the best for me.

Another choice is to get oscillating fans. Although they can be made to blow directly across the plants, the movement mimics natural wind better that one that blows across the plant(s) all the time. In my sunroom, I have both a ceiling fan, and an oscillating floor fan.

What Dot said about the oscillating fans. I bought two small clip on fans for $7 each and they work great!