My indoor plant has an orange mold-like substance growing on it and has tiny white bugs. How can I remove it?

Question

I have my very first plant in my cube and it seems to be doing just fine.

However, there is an orange mold-like substance growing on the top of the soil, and I can see a few tiny white bugs crawling around in the soil.

Did I do something wrong? Should I be worried? Is there anything I can do to fix my potential issue?

Here is some additional info, unfortunately I do not have answers to most of your questions as this plant was just given to my by a friend with no details provided.

• I do not know the type of plant. (See pic) It will not bloom, and sometimes grows extentions of itself which can be cut off and replanted elsewhere. (That's how I got mine.)
• The pot is just the cheapest plastic pot I could find at the local store. I's essentially a glorified tupperware container with holes in the bottom.
• It's planted in potting soil that my roommate had sitting in the apartment. It seems like simple black dirt with those little white balls in it.

Here are some photos of the mold and the plant. The white bugs are too small to photograph with my camera. They are only about 2mm long and .5mm wide. They look like tiny white larva of some sort perhaps.

(Click all photos for full-size)

Photo of mold (Inlined to make post shorter)

Another photo of mold

I'd like to apologize for my ignorance. Please help me provide you with more info if needed.

Answer 1

The appearance of the soil surface in your photos leads me to think that over-watering may be the cause of the mold/fungus; a constantly wet growing medium provides ideal conditions for mold to develop. The soil needs to dry out a little between waterings, so that it is only slightly damp to the touch, and never wet. The slight browning of the stems where they meet the soil also suggests that, unless they get drier conditions, they could develop collar rot. While some plants prefer moister conditions than others, very few will survive long if their feet are constantly wet.

Unfortunately, I can't identify either the plant or the pest from the photos you have posted, but I would suggest that you:

• carefully remove the top 2 inches of soil and replace it with fresh potting compost (preferably a peat-based one, as this will dry out better between waterings);

• try to ensure that the plant gets a few hours of bright natural light every day, to encourage it to bloom if it proves to be a flowering house plant;

• water thoroughly (until water comes out of the drainage holes - superficial watering leads to surface rooting, stress and disease), but only when the soil is dryish;

• spray the soil surface and the whole plant once a week with a solution of soapy water, if the insects persist / reappear; if this doesn't do the trick, try to identify the pest using the link Mike Perry has suggested and spray the plant and soil surface with a suitable insecticide;

• apply a liquid fertilizer - see here - every two or three weeks, but only during the growing season.

Provided your soil is free-draining, the mold/fungus should disappear without the use of a fungicide, once you have replaced the topsoil and created drier growing conditions.

Answer 2

There are a lot of good non-chemical home remedies for plants and insects at: http://www.firstrays.com/remedies.htm. He likes the use of cinnamon and citrus sprays, which might go over well with your cube neighbors in an office.

Answer 3

The issue you are having is from the type of soil you are using. Try Miracle-Gro planting soil for indoor plants and less watering. You can water your plant with 2 - 3 ice cubes every 4 days. There is no need to soak the soil; you just need to get water to the roots. Over watering will cause root rot and mold.

Answer 4

I can't help you with your soil problem, but that plant is a type of spider plant. It comes in many different shades. I have two a solid green one like yours and a green one with a white stripe down the center. That one is a curly spider plant. I'm not sure of the solid green types name though. I got my cuttings from my moms plants. I hope this helps!

Answer 5

I have a bunch of spider plants. I let them go more than "a little dry" stick your index finger down into the soil, around an inch. Do it at the edge so you won't hurt the roots. If the very top of your finger feels damp don't water.

Miracle gro soil is unnecessary. I prefer to give my spiders organic fertilisers like compost tea. It's slower release. Miracle grow is very "hot" it will make your plants grow fast like they're on steroids. It will look good but can shorten the lifespan of some plants others will get leggy (long and scraggly).

The pups will start showing up after a runner (long stems) flowers. The flowers are 3/4 in white with 5 petals.

Answer 6

I have the same fungus and tiny white bugs on my peace lily. I can say for sure that the tiny white bugs are Springtails and are benficial to your plants in more then one way. The biggest being helping to reduce mold and bacteria growing in your pot. You essentially have a ecosystem growing in your pot!