Eliminate fungi growing in the soil of houseplants

Most of the time, when people grow indoor plants, they do it to bring some of the outdoor plants indoors. But usually people want green plants, not little mushrooms. Fungi growing in the soil of house plants are a common problem.

What causes fungi to grow in the soil of houseplants?

Fungus growing on houseplants is caused by a fungus. Fungi are the fruit of this fungus. One of the most common fungi on houseplants is Leucocoprinus birnbaumii . It is a light yellow mushroom with a ball or flat cap, depending on its maturity.

The spores that cause the fungi that grow in the soil of houseplants are usually introduced by the contaminated mixture without soil. But sometimes they can be introduced by other means, such as air movement or spores released from clothing.

Fungi most often appear on houseplants in the summer when conditions are right for them. Unlike lawn fungi (which prefer cool, damp conditions), house plant fungi prefer warm, moist, wet air.

Getting rid of fungi on houseplants

Unfortunately, this is not an easy task. Once the soil is infected, it is very difficult to remove the spores and fungi that cause it, but there are some things you can try:

• Remove plugs – By removing plugs as soon as possible, you eliminate the source of spores that give rise to fungi growing in the soil of houseplants. This will also prevent the fungus from reaching your other houseplants.
• Scrape off the soil – Scraping off the top 2 cm of soil from the pot of houseplants and replacing it can help, but the fungus may grow back and the mushrooms will return.
• Change the soil – Changing the soil can help get rid of the fungus. One of the problems is that it is not healthy to remove all the soil from the roots of a plant (by washing or rinsing) and the fungus may still be present and grow back from the soil left on the roots of the houseplant.
• Soak the soil with a fungicide – Soaking the soil of the houseplant with a fungicide can help eliminate fungi on houseplants, but again, if you don’t kill all the fungi, they will come back. You may have to try this treatment several times before the fungus is completely eliminated.
• Change the conditions – If the air is less humid, the soil is less wet, or the temperature is cooler, this will reduce the number of fungi that appear. Unfortunately, conditions that are ideal for fungi are also ideal for most houseplants. So by changing the conditions, you can damage the houseplant itself.

It is difficult to get rid of fungi on houseplants, but fungi that grow in the soil of houseplants will not harm your plant or you unless you eat them. You may want to consider letting them grow. If you want to be chic, you can add animals or fairies nearby and create a small forest garden inside your home.