Hello! I noticed these little white things in the soil of...
1ft to light, direct
6” pot with drainage
Last watered 6 days ago
10
Best Answer
Hi Brittany,
Since you're holding up a piece of bark, the white stuff reminds me of a "harmless wood-decaying fungus" referred to as white fungus, slime mold or dog-vomit slime mold (seriously). Moisture and humidity create ideal growth conditions. I had it growing within a bag of cedar mulch. After some reading, I learned it was essentially composting itself and crossed it off my list of things to worry about(!)
(As for bugs, I can't see them in the photo but based on your description, they sound like soil mites, the kind that show up in worm bins (speaking from experience: annoying but generally harmless). Like composting worms, the mites are detritivores, feeding on dead organic matter - ie they won't snack on your plant while it's alive. It would make sense to see the mites and fungi together.)
Here's a snip and link to one of many articles about white fungus:
"I’ve observed this white fungus in my own garden, which tends to appear when conditions are damp. The white material often seen on mulch is a form of slime mold or fungus. While it might seem alarming, these fungi are usually harmless to plants. They thrive on decomposing organic matter in the mulch and are a natural part of the ecosystem, breaking down organic materials into nutrients that can enrich the soil."
fungus-on-mulch/" target="_blank">https://www.evergreenseeds.com/white-fungus-on-mulch/
Since you're holding up a piece of bark, the white stuff reminds me of a "harmless wood-decaying fungus" referred to as white fungus, slime mold or dog-vomit slime mold (seriously). Moisture and humidity create ideal growth conditions. I had it growing within a bag of cedar mulch. After some reading, I learned it was essentially composting itself and crossed it off my list of things to worry about(!)
(As for bugs, I can't see them in the photo but based on your description, they sound like soil mites, the kind that show up in worm bins (speaking from experience: annoying but generally harmless). Like composting worms, the mites are detritivores, feeding on dead organic matter - ie they won't snack on your plant while it's alive. It would make sense to see the mites and fungi together.)
Here's a snip and link to one of many articles about white fungus:
"I’ve observed this white fungus in my own garden, which tends to appear when conditions are damp. The white material often seen on mulch is a form of slime mold or fungus. While it might seem alarming, these fungi are usually harmless to plants. They thrive on decomposing organic matter in the mulch and are a natural part of the ecosystem, breaking down organic materials into nutrients that can enrich the soil."
fungus-on-mulch/" target="_blank">https://www.evergreenseeds.com/white-fungus-on-mulch/
Thank you @Ash1437 @CorvidFan @pothosslut for the help! And thanks @Avocadonerd for the commiseration lol. I was very nervous/grossed out about this and I really appreciate everyone’s help! ❤️
I don’t think anyone mentioned this already, so I wanted to throw it out there, letting the soil dry out quite well in between watering can help with some of those bugs that like the damp soil and rotting wood. Snake plants can go quite a while in between watering, like 1-2 weeks. Maybe longer in the winter.
@nellz4estfairyz thank you! I have been usually been waiting about 2 weeks between waterings, but we’ve had some very cloudy days recently so I may have watered too soon
@AwesomeLilliput As @nellz4estfairyz mentioned Sansevierias are very drought tolerant. Another thing you might try, if you’re not already doing it, is watering from the bottom. And if your plant is in a plastic pot try repotting it into a Terracotta pot that helps the soil to dry out much quicker than in a plastic pot. Good luck!