What is this white furry-looking mold in my potted plants?

Question

Can anyone help me identify the mold growing in two of my potted plants, and how to treat them?

I bought the plants and potted them two weeks ago. The flowering plant is in a pot with a drainage hole at the bottom, and the succulent is in a glass jar with no drainage. Neither has any substrate gravel in the bottom. We used a combination of the two potting materials pictured below - "Miraclegrow indoor potting mix" and "Ecoscraps fresh start plant food".However, we did not clear away majority of the original soil around the roots of plants when we bought them.

The flowering plant suggest watering twice a week.

They sit in a glassed-in vestibule that gets lots of sunlight during the day (windows on the east and south side, and a clear ceiling). I moved them outside yesterday when I noticed the mold.

UPDATE: After moving the plants outside, the mold receded! Thank you SE for the analysis and help.

Answer 1

This is a simple 'gray mold' that is absolutely not harmful. Rake the top of the soil and it should go away.

What I am worried about is your watering practices. This fungus needs constant moisture and/or little ventilation to grow. Are these pots filled with potting soil or did you add garden soil or 'compost'? Do these pots have drain holes? Did you put gravel or rock beneath the soil and above hopefully, the drain holes? How often do you water?

Reduce watering, rake the top of this soil and prune out dead leaves/remove any organic debris. Depending on where you live and where these plants live (indoors or out of doors) you should put a fan on them to help push away air and moisture and O2. Have you fertilized? That clear bowl probably has no drain holes, correct?

Please give more information about your soil, drainage holes, layer of rock/gravel at the bottom, how often you water, are these pots in the sun or are they under a roof on the patio or are in the home? Guess after reading that they are in a glassed in vestibule or sort of greenhouse. Yes, you need to get a fan going in that room and possibly some shade cloth to reduce the sunlight when it gets too hot.

You essentially have a 'green house' and with that there are management skills to learn. Ventilation, watering, potting soil, fertilizer...great question. A bit more information from you. This mold was just a little wake up call is all...grins.