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Posted 2Y ago by @ToxicPunkWitch

Can terracotta mold?

So, I just went to water my little mint-lings, and I swear the terracotta pots I have two of them in were starting to mold around the outside... I have them in my kitchen window, above the sink, but the two that I hadn't watered yet were clear. I have a distinct dislike for mold, so I wiped it away with a baby wipe before I thought to take a picture... Is this a thing? I know terracotta absorbs moisture, but to the point of molding? Maybe it was just dust and I'm being paranoid, but... #mold #terracotta #help
The Mint-ling
The Mint-ling
Peppermint
4” pot with drainage
Last watered 2 years ago
Best Answer
@Blau_Ozean
Lauren
10072 XP
2Y ago
@Blau_Ozean
It can. Put hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle & spray your pot 😄
@Boymom-plantmom
jennifer
28050 XP
2Y ago
@Boymom-plantmom
@Blau_Ozean that’s exactly what i do:)
@BeesZenGarden
Bee
8058 XP
2Y ago
@BeesZenGarden
I may be wrong but I think terracotta pots develop this sort of “patina” because of minerals in the water?… 🤔
@Kiersten
Greg team
Kiersten
37186 XP
2Y ago
@Kiersten
Like @BeesZenGarden said, it’s more likely that it’s minerals from the soil/water seeping out. Mold can grow too but it’s less likely!

If it looks fuzzy it may be mold, salts will look crystally or flaky
@ToxicPunkWitch
Rizz
2997 XP
2Y ago
@ToxicPunkWitch
@BeesZenGarden and @Kiersten, I actually use dechlorinated spring water (I get gallons of it at a time for my reptiles, and I live too close to a landfill to trust my tap water), so I typically just use that to water my plants. It was definitely very fuzzy. At best it looked like the pot was just moist, so it collected dust, but it hasn't been in the window for more than 2 weeks. And I just noticed the growth yesterday.
@BeesZenGarden
Bee
8058 XP
2Y ago
@BeesZenGarden
@ToxicPunkWitch Hmmm 🤔 If it’s on a windowsill, it receives sunlight, and UVs are mold inhibitors. Maybe rotate the pot regularly to make sure every side receive sun?…