Click play to listen to What Causes Mold to Grow on Houseplants article.

Have you recently noticed an increase in mold on plants throughout your space? Houseplant mold is not uncommon, but it’s definitely not something we want sitting in our homes! While mold on plants isn’t always dangerous to humans, it can rather unsightly and can even release mold spores into our air, irritating allergy and asthma symptoms.

Luckily, treating houseplant mold is easy! Here are some tips to follow if you’re looking into how to get rid of mold on plants and keep future houseplant mold growth at bay.

How to Get Rid of Mold on Plants

Avoid Overwatering

If you’re finding mold on plants, especially on the surface of the soil in potted plants, it could mean you’re overwatering—causing the soil to maintain persistent moisture and grow mold. Because of their known moisture retention, indoor plants actually require less water than outdoor plants since they tend to receive less sunlight and as a result, struggle to evaporate excess moisture. In the wintertime, watering can be more infrequent.

Houseplant mold can be avoided by watering only when the soil is dry to the touch. Make sure your plants live in areas where they can absorb moderate sunlight each day!

Optimize Drainage

Even if you’re not overwatering, houseplant mold growth can occur when soil is too wet due to improper drainage. Whether it’s a lack of drainage holes, soil that’s too dense, or pots that are too big or too small, there are many factors that can contribute to mold on plants.

Oftentimes, pre-mixed soils can include materials, like peat moss, that keep the soil from becoming too dense. Paired with the right pot, number of drainage holes, and room for roots, your plant itself can absorb more water, leaving less room for mold growth.

Keep Air Moving

Constant circulation of air can help dry out your plants between watering, which reduces your chances of houseplant mold! Moving your plants to more central areas of your home can help.

Proper circulation and ventilation don’t just benefit our plants—they benefit our bodies, too! When your home’s air is actively replenished with clean, Healthy Air brought in by an AprilAire Whole-House Fresh Air Ventilation System, everyone can benefit.

Promote Balanced Humidity

Just like ventilation, proper humidity control can not only help deter mold on plants, but can improve the overall health of your home! While some plants may thrive in higher-humidity areas, many common houseplants experience mold growth when living in too-humid environments and suffer from stunted growth if unable to evaporate water and draw nutrients from their soil.

Excess humidity levels can cause houseplant mold and much more. With an AprilAire Whole-House Dehumidifier, you can maintain ideal humidity levels (between 40–60%*) so your plants (and family) can thrive year-after-year!

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*While balanced humidity exists between 40 and 60%, it’s important to remember that outdoor temperature and other home factors will impact what relative humidity level is attainable and recommended for your house. Talk with your AprilAire Healthy Air Professional to learn more.