Soil growing a white mold! Help! - bonsaiTALK Community

3-Apr-2008

bclynch

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Join Date: Mar-2008

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Soil growing a white mold! Help!

I have a schefflera arboricola that I bought from a local bonsai store a few weeks ago. I watered it for the first time by dunking it in a bucket for about 15 minutes. I sprayed all the leafs and the trunk just to clean it up and then took it outside in the sun to dry up a little so it doesn't stay too moist and so the water could leak out a lot.

Its been about 2 weeks since I watered it and I looked at the soil and found this white mold growing on the soil, not the tree. Also, I keep noticing all of these little flies that are being attracted to it and can't tell if it is because of the tree or the large amount of moss that is laying on the soil.

This is an indoor plan, I take it outside every once and a while for a few hours to get some direct sunlight. What is this white mold and what is wrong with the soil? Also, why are these flies flocking to my tree, what can I do to make them stop and are they a bad thing?

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4-Apr-2008	#2
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4-Apr-2008

Mcspeed

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Quote:

Originally Posted by bclynch

. I watered it for the first time by dunking it in a bucket for about 15 minutes.

This is NOT the prefered method for watering a bonsai, with good or bad soil. Water from the top, and when needed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bclynch

. Its been about 2 weeks since I watered it and I looked at the soil and found this white mold growing on the soil?

This is where the bad soil part comes in. If your soil is still wet after soaking once 2 weeks ago something is rotten in Denmark.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bclynch

. Also, I keep noticing all of these little flies that are being attracted to it and can't tell if it is because of the tree or the large amount of moss that is laying on the soil.

Yes! They are probably fungus gnats, they like wet rotting stuff. Which is probably your roots and whatever the soil is.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bclynch

. This is an indoor plan, I take it outside every once and a while for a few hours to get some direct sunlight. What is this white mold and what is wrong with the soil? Also, why are these flies flocking to my tree, what can I do to make them stop and are they a bad thing?

Mold more than likely, and it seems that your soil is probably all organic matter, that is staying soggy, which is not a good thing for pot culture.

Do a search for soils or soil recipies, and trudge thru those threads and articles, there will be lots to read, but it will be worth the experiance. You will most likely have more questions after that reading but you will be more enlightened.

Typical soil mixes for bonsai would not allow you to water 2 weeks apart and expect to have a live tree, but you also need to worry about this tree living in this soil medium, if it's still wet after 2 weeks.

Did you get this kind of instruction from the store you bought it from?? If so where was it?

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