So I bought my Monstera on 3/11. I haven’t watered it yet since it had already been watered the day I bought it. It’s due for another watering today, but unsure if I should because I noticed there is a thin whiteish layer of mold on top of the soil, along with a bunch of baby weeds popping up. What is the best way to repot it and get rid of the moldy soil?? Thank you!!! In the pics you can see the weeds but it’s hard to see the mold in there.
Mold usually occurs when there isn’t enough ventilation and the soil is staying wet for too long. A repot in chunkier soil would probably do it good (something with lots of orchid bark and charcoal because they’re big and chunky so they help break up compact soil). I repot on picnic table cloths just bc it’s easy to shake them off after. Wiggle the plant out, and try to remove chunks of dirt where the mold seems to be growing a lot. Don’t focus on cleaning the soil off too much. Once it’s in fluffier soil, the mold won’t be able to live in the soil because it’s no longer staying wet. You may want to consider putting in a moss pole- get a tall one and attach your monstera to it. Only attach under leaves / don’t pinch anything. I always try to arrange mine to all be facing one direction when I repot because where I have it, it’s against a window and I don’t turn it so I want all the leaves facing one direction. Just something to think about when you’re attaching the pole. You also want to make sure you give it a deep watering when you’re done. It’ll help the new soil settle around the roots. ☺️💚
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This is exactly what I came here to say! Once you get that plant out of the moldy soil it should be much happier :)
3 likes Thank you both for the advice!!! I ordered a moss pole and once it arrives I will repot this weekend!! Im excited! Lol
0 likesThe other thing you can do is let the soil dry completely out (maybe move an oscillating fan close or it for a little while). You can scrape the mold off the top of the soil and just be careful how you water the plant. When you do repot, make sure it in a better draining mix. Big box stores are notorious for overwatering plants. I wouldn’t be worried about any of it if the plant is r declining. Also, I sways skip watering tasks if I know the plant isn’t at least halfway (if not completely) dry.
2 likes Thanks for the advice!! I skipped watering yesterday because of the mold and it was still a bit damp. I’ll try putting a fan nearby until I can repot it!
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Hope your plant recovers with help from all those comments I’d hate to see it die because monstera deliciosa is my favorite plant
1 like Thank you!! I repotted it. The soil was still very wet from top to bottom. Fortunately it hadn’t developed root rot yet! I rinsed off the roots and let them air a bit before repotting.
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