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House plant pot growing mould on the outside

tina_harrison12tina_harrison12 Posts: 48
in Problem solving
My house plant pot (from Wilko 😢) is growing mould on the outside! It is porous material. It has no room for an inner container to fit inside. Should I just clean the mould with mould spray, and put the soil and plant in a plastic bag, and put it back in the pot? The soil doesn't get too wet.
Do not know why images upload on the side as on my phone they are the right way up.
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Posts

  • tina_harrison12tina_harrison12 Posts: 48
    Will the mould spores grow again even after mould spray and vinegar?
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Is it mould, or could it be soluble mineral salts from the compost passing through the porous pot and crystallising on the surface of the pot?

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    What porous material is the pot made of ?  Does it have drainage holes or is it designed for use as an "outer" pot ?  Is the plant a succulent ( preferring the dry atmosphere ) or a moisture loving plant ?
    I wouldn't rely on Wilko ( or any other SM ) to put the correct plant in the correct pot - ID the plant and see what you need.
    Short term, just use warm water and wipe off the mould but accept that this will not be a permanent solution.

  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    Does the pot have drainage holes?  Your plant looks as if it might be showing signs of overwatering. 
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • tina_harrison12tina_harrison12 Posts: 48
    Dovefromabove said:
    Is it mould, or could it be soluble mineral salts from the compost passing through the porous pot and crystallising on the surface of the pot?
    Up close it's fluffy not crystal like
  • tina_harrison12tina_harrison12 Posts: 48
    Plantminded said:
    Does the pot have drainage holes?  Your plant looks as if it might be showing signs of overwatering. 
    No it had yellow leaves from underwatering. Because it's porous it doesn't retain water well. No holes but porous. It's made of cement I think, can see holes
  • tina_harrison12tina_harrison12 Posts: 48
    philippasmith2 said:
    What porous material is the pot made of ?  Does it have drainage holes or is it designed for use as an "outer" pot ?  Is the plant a succulent ( preferring the dry atmosphere ) or a moisture loving plant ?
    I wouldn't rely on Wilko ( or any other SM ) to put the correct plant in the correct pot - ID the plant and see what you need.
    Short term, just use warm water and wipe off the mould but accept that this will not be a permanent solution.

    Wiping it off with warm water won't help me solve this
  • tina_harrison12tina_harrison12 Posts: 48
    philippasmith2 said:
    What porous material is the pot made of ?  Does it have drainage holes or is it designed for use as an "outer" pot ?  Is the plant a succulent ( preferring the dry atmosphere ) or a moisture loving plant ?
    I wouldn't rely on Wilko ( or any other SM ) to put the correct plant in the correct pot - ID the plant and see what you need.
    Short term, just use warm water and wipe off the mould but accept that this will not be a permanent solution.

    Its a got leaves where it absorbs water from the air, you know those thick ones, so doesn't need much watering. Please see my other responses just now, to answer your other questions.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited October 2023
    tina_harrison12 said:
    Dovefromabove said:
    Is it mould, or could it be soluble mineral salts from the compost passing through the porous pot and crystallising on the surface of the pot?
    Up close it's fluffy not crystal like
    The crystals that form on concrete can be sort of ‘fluffy’. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    I would repot in a plastic inner pot with drainage holes and put that in a suitable outer decorative pot.  The current pot makes it difficult to maintain suitable moisture levels in the soil/compost, hence the yellowing leaves. Your plant does not look like an air plant that absorbs water through its leaves.  Do you know what it is?
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


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