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Posted 2Y ago by @infi

Mold on sphagnum moss?? What should I do?

I was checking my Monstera Dubia cutting that I got last week. This is the first time I've used sphagnum moss before. Since I got the cutting, I saw that some of the edges of the roots were soft and black, so I cut those, sprayed with diluted hydrogen peroxide, then put back in damp moss (after a brief period in perlite).

I checked it today and I think I see mold?? Am I right that this is mold, and if so, does anyone have any suggestions on what to do?
#Monstera #MonsteraDubia #mold #helpneeded #sphagnummoss
@AnthuriumQueen
Caroline
134014 XP
2Y ago
@AnthuriumQueen
Just pick it out. Make sure you keep your plants in an area where a bit of air movement happens to avoid stagnant moisture.
@sarah10orio
still Sarah
275301 XP
2Y ago
@sarah10orio
Mold isn't so bad. It's just because the air isn't moving about. You can spray a little hydrogen peroxide on that, too. (:
@infi
Infi
8074 XP
2Y ago
@infi
Thanks @AnthuriumQueen and @sarahsalith! Yeah I was worried about humidity since it's such a baby cutting, but after this I took it off and the affected moss. Crossing fingers it does okay, I've been such a nervous plant parent because it's so young and I don't want it to die
@JenniB81
Jenni
20686 XP
2Y ago
@JenniB81
You can also use cinnamon to treat mould 😊 it's totally safe for your plants (& animals if you have them!) but it's a natural fungicide. And it smells lovely! 🥰 Xx
@SilkenGrasspea
Bri
4358 XP
2Y ago
@SilkenGrasspea
My sphagnum moss was doing this a lot. I did some research and read about sterilizing the moss before using it. I boiled some water and poured it into a bowl with the moss and let it sit until it cooled. I made sure to squeeze out a lot of the water before putting the props in as well. This really helped! I also use a diluted hydrogen peroxide spray if/when I need to add more moisture to the moss. (My prop box isn’t airtight).
@UphorbiaUphoria
Briana
1182 XP
2Y ago
@UphorbiaUphoria
I have a spray bottle of diluted isopropyl alcohol with a couple drops of Castile soap, rosemary oil and tea tree that I use for pest control. When I noticed mold growing in my new moss poles, I just spritzed the poles and top layer of soil with this as well and it seemed to have nipped it in the butt right away.