Yellow mold is an eyesore and a type of mold that can have you scratching your head. It can grow on your mulch, in your bathroom, and even in your soil. So you’ve noticed yellow mold growing in soil. What do you do?
What is yellow mold?
Yellow mold that grows on soil is a common type of mold called Leucocoprinus Birnbaumii. This type of mold can often be found in your houseplant pots, and also on any soil you may have outdoors. This mold is also often found in commercial potting soil, so the next time you do some soil shopping make sure to check the soil prior to buying.
Most types of yellow mold grow in conditions that are exposed to high levels of moisture, which actually make your houseplant soil a good home for the mold. Yellow mold is also one of the harder types of mold to remove manually because if any is left behind it grows back very fast.
How do you Remove it?
Yellow mold growing in soil can be an eyesore that you don’t want to look at. It has a yellowish appearance that reminds most people of vomit. So how do you get rid of it? When the mold is found in outdoor soil it is a bit easier to deal with. If it is found outside you can attempt to remove it, but make sure you are very careful in getting all of it. If you leave any trace the mold will likely grow back by the next day. If it grows in your houseplant soil it can be a bit more tricky to remove.
This type of mold forms when an area receives too much moisture, so you can try and water the plant only when needed to dry it out. This can be dangerous because you definitely will not be happy if the plant dies. If you want to prevent this type of mold from growing, the best course of action to take is being sure to not water your plants too much. You can fight this mold as much as you would like, but the best action to take against it is no action. It will go away by itself, and you may actually be doing more harm than good trying to remove it.
Is it safe?
This type of yellow is completely harmless, and should not be a cause for concern. While it may be gross to look at, this mold is natural. This means that if you let it run its course it will cause no harm to you or your plants. The only toxic part about this mold is the appearance. It should be noted that this mold can be mildly toxic in younger children, or those with weakened immune systems. If this is the case, then the mold can possibly cause respiratory irritation. So regardless of the appearance, this particular mold is generally safe for both you and your plants.
Closing
So you caught this yellow mold in houseplant soil. It may be gross to look at it, but there is not much that you can do. The best advice is to let this mold run its course because it is not harmful to you or the plants.
References
- https://garden.org/users/profile/NGA/
- https://www.ehow.com/facts_7866741_yellow-fungus-top-soil.html
