Why Is My Succulent Molding

It’s possible for mold to form on your succulent plants frequently. It will be helpful to understand how the mold develops on your plant before we talk about how to treat it.

Over-Watering

Anywhere there is moisture in the air, mold can grow. Spores, which can float through the air and land on surfaces, are the source of mold growth. Mold spores are actually present all around us. To begin growing, the spores simply require the ideal habitat. Overwatering your plant increases the moisture that spores have access to.

Overwatering can harm your plants and is a common cause of home plant death. The plant cannot properly absorb oxygen when the soil is excessively wet.

In a few ways, watering succulents differs from watering standard houseplants. Succulents have bigger leaves and larger roots and stalks. As a result, they can store more water and survive longer without freshwater. Because of this, they resemble cacti greatly and are excellent indoor plants for individuals who are busy.

You’ll be safe watering your plant once a week during the summer and warmer months. It goes without saying that you should exercise caution, but weekly watering will be sufficient for your succulent to survive. Fill the pot to the brim with water before watering. The succulent will be able to absorb all the water it requires this way. You can also combine fertilizer and water if your succulent is still growing.

You can water your succulent less regularly in the winter than you can in the summer. Don’t worry if the soil gets a little dry; the plant will still be able to live.

Mold growth will be more challenging if you adhere to the succulent’s recommended watering schedule. However, even if you water once each week, mold might still develop. Let’s examine some additional causes of fungus that you might be experiencing.

Not Enough Sunlight

Lack of sunshine is another frequent factor that can contribute to the growth of mold. Much light is required by succulents. They may be exposed to up to six hours of sunshine when they are outside. If you have an indoor succulent, you must put it in the area of your house with the best lighting to make sure it receives adequate light. Mold is more likely to start growing if the plant is not given enough to eat.

Poor Maintenance

If you do not properly care for your plant, mold will develop. Since they don’t need much upkeep, succulents are relatively simple to look after, but you still need to invest some time and effort into it. Neglecting a plant will foster the ideal conditions for the growth of fungus. This covers insufficient cleaning, inadequate illumination, and inappropriate watering.

How is mold on succulents treated?

Early indications of this fungus include round, gray-brown spots on the surfaces of leaves and stems. As the infection worsens, these spots turn fuzzy with mold. It is the type of fungus that spreads when the weather starts to cool down and get damp, typically in the early Spring or Summer. It thrives in a moist, shaded area with poor airflow.

Dishwashing soap is one of the most used home-made fungicides in the early signs of a plant affected by grey mold. Just make sure it doesn’t contain bleach or greasers. The damaged regions of plants with severe grey mold infections must be removed. It’s best to refrain from watering from the top as well.

Leaf stains

Succulents can get fungal leaf spots indoors and outdoors, although they are not harmful. What makes it annoying is that when the fungus becomes too accustomed to your plant, the small area will enlarge and start to resemble a blotch, which will probably eventually kill your plant.

A succulent with Leaf Spots can be treated in a number of secure and practical ways. You can either spray your succulent with a moderate solution of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), using 1/2 teaspoon per gallon of water, or you can use an all-purpose fungicide.

fungus wilt

Fusarium Wilt is a fungus that lives in the soil. It penetrates the plant through the roots and starts reproducing in the vascular tissues, obstructing the plant’s ability to absorb water, leading to severe stress, wilting, yellowing, and most likely, death.

Regrettably, there is currently no known cure for fusarium wilt in plants. The fastest removal and disposal of the infected plant is the best advised course of action for this fungus. Fusarium-contaminated soil must also be removed. This will aid in limiting the spread of the fungus.

Anthracnose

A series of fungal infections known as anthracnose are brought on by members of the Colletotrichum genus. Circular, pale, sunken, or brownish patches that are characteristic of this type of fungus will cause the plant tissues to dry up and become hard like bark.

The only way to save your succulent once it has been attacked by this fungus is to remove the afflicted leaves. To further prevent the spread of this fungus, it is best to replace the contaminated plant’s soil and pot in addition to thoroughly cleaning all of your instruments.

You can apply fungicides that contain chlorothalonil, copper sprays with copper diammonia diacetate, propiconazole, and systemic fungicide thiophanate-methyl to eliminate any remaining fungal bodies and to maintain control.

Rotten Root and Crown

In comparison to other fungal illnesses, root and crown rots are among the hardest to diagnose. They don’t exhibit any distinctive symptoms that could enable you to identify an infection in your succulent.

To give you an example, a plant with root rot will first begin to wilt, then the leaves will start to turn brown, and finally the stems will start to rot, causing the plant to topple over. The roots will turn brown beneath the earth and will easily separate if the soil is carefully scraped away.

Fine feeder roots typically maintain a healthy white to tan color and can hold the root ball together effectively even if the root crown is also diseased. However, as soon as the plant’s soil is removed, brown spots can be seen on the cortex of the roots as well as the root crown or stem base.

Sadly, therapy does not work well for root and crown rot. However, this can be prevented by lowering moisture. Simply use a well-draining container and give your succulents the appropriate amount of water to achieve this. Just enough to meet the requirements of your plant. Additionally, any mulch that is longer than 4 inches should be removed to avoid letting your plant remain in excessively moist soil.

Why is the dirt in my succulents rotting?

Mold concerns are caused by moist potting soil and inadequate drainage. Bad Drainage Long-term sogginess in the potting soil causes the plant to start dying and may result in mold growth. Mold spores thrive in the decaying roots, stems, and leaves.

What on earth is that white growth on my succulent?

The Sclerotinia stem rot, which primarily affects field crops, is known by the common term white mold. It might take years to completely eradicate it from farm soils, which is a typical issue for soybean growers. If your succulent has white mold, it’s more likely that it has powdery mildew, a common and manageable houseplant disease. It can survive on both the fleshy leaves and stems of succulents and has the appearance of a white, powdery mold.

How can fungus appear on succulents?

Fungi belonging to the genus Colletotrichum produce anthracnose. Numerous types of succulents and cacti are impacted by this virus. Moist, tan-colored rot with red, orange, or pink pustules on the surface is an indication of anthracnose. Spots disappear quite rapidly from crowns and leaves. You can only remove and destroy afflicted leaves from your succulent when it has this fungus infected it. You should avoid recycling the soil and make sure that your instruments are completely clean because this virus spreads through contaminated pots and dirt. In order to eliminate any remaining fungal bodies, you should also use a copper fungicide.

How does a succulent that has been overwatered look?

How can you tell if your succulent is getting too much water? You can usually determine if a succulent is being overwatered or underwatered by looking for telltale indications. A plant that has received too much water will have soft, mushy leaves.

The leaves would either turn translucent in color or appear lighter than they would on a healthy plant. A succulent that had received too much water would frequently lose leaves readily, even when only lightly handled. Usually, the lowest leaves are the ones to suffer first.

The plant will look to be unhealthy overall. When this occurs, the plant is either being overwatered, sitting in the incorrect soil that does not dry out quickly enough, or both.

Your plants are being overwatered if you have been giving them regular waterings or if you have been following a watering schedule regardless of how the plant appears.

On the other hand, a succulent that has been submerged will have withered, wrinkled, and deflated-looking leaves. The leaves will appear thin and flat. The entire plant will appear withered and dry.

The leaves of a good succulent plant should be thick and solid, not mushy or desiccated.

To learn more about this subject, visit my post titled “How To Tell If Your Succulent is Over or Under Watered,” in which I go into great length about how you may determine whether your succulent plant is being over or under watered.

This String of Pearls ‘Senecio Rowleyanus’ plant leaf is one that has been overwatered. If a succulent’s water storage capacity has been exceeded, it may physically burst from overwatering.

How do I deal with mold on my plant?

  • The mold is typically white and fuzzy; find it. Scrape the rotten dirt with a spoon before throwing it away. To keep your health safe while eradicating the mold, put on a dust mask. It is preferable to repot the plant if there is a lot of mold present.
  • Add an antifungal solution to the soil after removing the mold. In order to stop the majority of the mold from growing back, you might choose to sprinkle cinnamon or baking soda. Aim to evenly distribute the anti-fungal and avoid using too much.
  • If the plant has mold, get rid of it right away. Use a paper towel to gently wipe the mold from the leaves after lightly dampening it. Make sure to replace the paper towel after each wipe. To prevent the spread of mold spores, replace the paper towel once every component has touched the moldy surfaces. Remove any leaves that still have mold on them that may be seen.

Can you remove mildew that is powdery?

For a fast visual inspection, note that powdery mildew can be scraped off the leaves. Eventually, mildew will cover leaves and entire plants, limiting photosynthesis, plant vigor, and bud quality. These fuzzy mycelium patches release airborne spores that quickly attack nearby plants.

Why is the earth around my plant covered in mold?

Most likely, the white fluffy substance on the plant soil is a saprophytic fungus that is not harmful. The following factors can all contribute to fungal issues (mold) on the plant soil: excessive water, inadequate soil drainage, polluted potting soil, and a lack of sunlight. Low light and moisture provide the “ideal setting for the growth of white mold on home plants.

Tiny minuscule spores that make up the mold fungus begin to grow and thrive under specific conditions. The mold’s color can change depending on what caused the potting soil infection.

White fungus on soil

White growths on the ground that resemble threads are saprophytic fungus, according to the Royal Horticultural Society. Even if there is a lot of this white fungus growth, also known as mycelium, it is innocuous. (1)

Yellow fungal mold

Yellow mold growth on plant soil is also a type of harmless saprophytic fungi. Scrape it off or repot the plant in sterile potting soil to get rid of it.

Gray mold on houseplant soil

Gray mold can occasionally be a fungus called Botrytis. The location of this fuzzy growth is typically close to the soil’s surface or growing in thick vegetation. If gray mold is not handled, the plant could suffer.

Sooty mold

Scale may be indicated by patches of black or dark green material that resemble soot. As they consume the plant’s sap, these minuscule insects have the ability to kill your plant. Although the sooty mold won’t hurt the plant, you must promptly get rid of scale insects.

Powdery mildew

Powdery mildew, a fungus that affects houseplants, can have the appearance of flour dusted on plants. The plant’s photosynthesis may be hampered if the fungal infestation becomes too severe, which could restrict the plant’s growth.

Why are my plants covered in white mold?

The consequence of fungus spores, white mold on plants resembles a fuzzy material. The powdery mildew-looking white fuzz that develops from the spores on the plant’s leaves and stems very quickly. Both indoor and outdoor plants may be impacted by this white fuzzy mold, particularly in warm, moist, and humid growing environments. A healthy plant won’t be killed by white mold, but it can stunt its growth. Nearby plants can readily become infected by the airborne spores, and plant soil can develop a fuzzy white mold.

How to get rid of white mold on plants: Mix baking soda, water, and dish detergent to kill mold on indoor plants. Making a milk spray that helps to neutralize the cottony white mold is another natural way to get rid of houseplant mold. Another all-natural cure for indoor plants with mold is neem oil.

Do succulents need to be in the sun directly?

1. Ensure that your succulents receive adequate light. Depending on the type, succulents need six hours of sunlight each day because they are light-loving plants. You might need to gradually expose newly planted succulents to full sun exposure or give shade with a translucent screen because they can burn in direct sunshine.

How frequently should succulents be watered indoors?

Indoor succulent plants probably need to be watered once a week. They require ample time for the soil to dry out in between waterings so that the water may be stored in the leaves. Use the following methods and advice while watering succulent plants inside.

  • Use an irrigation system with a little pour spout.
  • Fill the succulent plant’s center with water until it is completely submerged.
  • Allow water to completely drain out of the pot through the perforations. Make careful to empty any water that seeps through the soil if there is a saucer underneath the plant.
  • Since there won’t be enough heat and fresh airflow for the leaves to dry when planted indoors, avoid soaking the leaves to prevent rot from the top down.
  • Dry the soil completely in between waterings.