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I have a problem

Here is my problem:

mold.jpg


A close up:
mold-close-up.jpg


Looks like mold to me.  What do you guys think?  How do I get rid of it?  I ordered some natural fungicide, but I'm wondering how well it will work.  I'm hoping it won't do any harm.  

Here's the description:

"K + Neem insecticidal soap is a unique environmentally friendly insecticide derived from the botanical oils of the Indian Neem Tree. The Indian Neem Tree has been utilized for centuries as a safe, effective natural insecticide and repellent. Organica extracts the oils from the seed of the Neem Tree and puts them through a proprietary saponification process, making them into soap.

K + Neem insecticidal soap is a unique product in that it is the only insecticidal soap on the market derived from neem seed oil. The fatty acids that comprise K + Neem differ from the fatty acids found in conventional soaps. The unique blend of fatty acids found in K + Neem is the "natural choice" to replace the growing list of chemical insecticides (organophosphates) no longer fit for sale. Unlike conventional neem oil products that are only effective against insects in the larval stage, Organica's K + Neem kills insects and mites in all stages of instar development (egg, larva, pupa, and adult).

K + Neem can also be used as a spray to control powdery mildew disease on roses, grapes, lilacs, zinnia, cucumbers, and other sensitive plants.

Furthermore, because K + Neem is not a poison, it is safe enough to use on food crops up until and including the day of harvest! K + Neem is the economical, ecological replacement for organophosphates."
 
Oooopps......sorry about the double post.  
confused.gif
 
Sorry, I can't help myself from laughing... hahahahahahaha

I've just never seen it get that far and it looks funny!
I would probably just go ahead and carefully repot it with new soil, looks like your plant needs new media... maybe your soil is very old or low quality?
When I mean repot this is don't go touching the roots to see what they look like or anything, that was my mistake back then.
But the mold doesn't seem to be effecting the plants too much, but I think it is way to late for any type of fungcide. It'll just come back in a few days.
 
Hmmm......I don't know, the peat is a few years old now. And I did get it at the local Hardware Hank, so I don't know about the quality. It has been sitting out in our shop for several years dry in it's packing. Would that cause this?
 
don't laugh peter!!

repot, asap. iono if age of peat matters. i use 2/1 sand/peat if that helps.

and i never use that all natural crap. human's have developed advanced fungicides for a reason! to kick fungus butt!
 
oh yeah, it looks like it's feeding on some kind of green stuff (algea?) maybe the green stuff is algea that died, now the fungus is feeding on the dead algea.

so get rid of the food-get rid of the mold.
 
Does mold harm the plants? The green stuff in that pot is long fibered sphagnum. I mixed that in with the peat. It seemed to me that my vfts in the peat grew better than the one in my sand/peat mix. But maybe it's from other conditions. They are in different places in the house I guess, maybe I should move it. And I noticed that I don't see mold in the mixes with sand in them.
 
it's not hurting YOUR plants, AFAIK. i still suggest repotting them in fresh medium and giving them more sun (you'r plants look kinda green)
 
Hi fireweed,
Your VFTs don't appear to have been bothered by the fungi. I had the same appearance on my ping soil this past winter. BTW, it was the same mixture you're using. Dried LFS has a fungicidal property for a period of time but loses it as it ages. What I did was scrape the top layer of soil off a couple of times until I was ready to repot in the spring. I would follow JustLikeAPill's advice and get your plants some more sun. Do you grow your plants indoors? If so, that can also contribute to mold formation on your soil depending on the conditions in your house. If it all possible put them outside if you're not already doing so. The fresh air and direct sun has an amazing effect on VFTs.
 
  • #10
Thanks JLP and flytrap59, they are growing inside and it is air conditioned.  I have been giving it a good amount of light, but not much direct sunlight.  The best window in the house is where they are at, but during the really hot time of the summer, we usually pull the shade since it keeps it much cooler in here.  But now it's been open and my vft has been getting some direct sunlight.

I thought about putting it outside, but we have such strange weather here sometimes, and also the wind here is pretty darn strong.  It got to 40 F here last night too......so generally I keep them inside.  Plus I keep them by my computer so I can admire them often!
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I will scrape off the top layer with the mold on there and give it more sun!  Thanks!
 
  • #11
it says you live in north dakota, i doubt your plants will get too hot
smile.gif
it regularly gets into the high 90's here during the summer.
 
  • #12
Yeah but 40 degrees every night is pretty harsh cold weather for a little VFT. One night every once in a while wouldn't be so bad....but every night? I think you might be better off with some high neps. lol
 
  • #13
hmm.. i didn't know it got that cold in the summer!
 
  • #14
Usually it doesn't get that cold in the summer. But we have some wierd weather here. Last year it snowed in June
confused.gif
Generally we have pretty warm summers.....and very cold winters. It will get into the 90s here too...usually......but every once in a while it will surprise everyone. Keeps us on our toes!
 
  • #15
firewired, I live in lower Michigan. I know thats not quite as far north as you but it does get pretty cool here at night.  I grow my VFTs outside on an open porch until November 1st. The temps regularly drop into the forties at night once mid september rolls around. We hit 49 last night.  I really don't think you would have any problems growing outside if you wanted to. VFTs are pretty hardy plants. The key would be having a place where they would receive 4 to 6 hours (preferably 6) of direct sunlight daily. A few years back I even grew a couple outside in a bog garden along with some purps. They were burried under a two foot blanket of snow for a month and came through the winter just fine. That blew my mind!!!  One way you can protect your plants from wind is to simply place the pot in an open fish bowl or small 2 gallon fish tank.  Just be sure NOT to cover the opening during the daytime when in direct sunlight or your plants will end up as stir-fry.  Hope this helps. Good Luck!
 
  • #16
Thanks flytrap59. I didn't know they were that hardy a plant. That's good to know! Maybe I will give them a little fresh air.
 
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