--- title: "Every time I water my monstera, I get white mold on top! I don’t know…" description: "Every time I water my monstera, I get white mold on top! I don’t know what to do to prevent this! I have a grow light on it but it still keeps happening. Any…" url: "https://getplanta.com/community/UeI834LBSHCioL8MwLcQxA/658c8fdba041bc5c0b1783b0" community: "Monstera Maniacs" author: "Holly Wuuhoo" published: "2023-12-27T20:58:03.875Z" language: "en" image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/irLpr89nOj8Ax5ZtW1PiC_KJT3AVPpnBv1swAUahrBQ/61311b44e41b40efb051db2240391cd9.webp?size=large" --- [Community](https://getplanta.com/community.md) / [Monstera Maniacs](https://getplanta.com/community/UeI834LBSHCioL8MwLcQxA.md) # Every time I water my monstera, I get white mold on top! I don’t know… _Posted by Holly Wuuhoo on 2023-12-27_ Every time I water my monstera, I get white mold on top! I don’t know what to do to prevent this! I have a grow light on it but it still keeps happening. Any suggestions?? ![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/irLpr89nOj8Ax5ZtW1PiC_KJT3AVPpnBv1swAUahrBQ/61311b44e41b40efb051db2240391cd9.webp?size=large) ## 9 comments ### Claire5904 commented on 2023-12-27 You can spray neem right on that. It’s mycelium mold. It just means your soil is a bit too moist. If your soil is on the denser side it’s probably holding a lot of moisture for a long period of time. It’s a harmless mold though, just looks kinda icky. You can try to gently incorporate some larger coco husk or orchid bark into the top layer of soil so perhaps it won’t stay so moist. #### Holly Wuuhoo replied on 2023-12-27 Thank you so much! I will try that! Would you recommend repotting the whole plant or just adding the coco husk/ orchid bark to the top layer? ### Soup commented on 2023-12-27 You can also remove the top layer of soil and put some cinnamon powder on top as it’s anti fungal 🫶 #### Holly Wuuhoo replied on 2023-12-27 Thank you! ☺️ #### Sydnei replied on 2023-12-28 +1 on this. simplest measure. also, aerate it by taking a skewer to make wholes all the way to the bottom of the pot. create some pockets so it’s not packed as dense. ### Plant Father commented on 2023-12-27 i would repot the whole plant asap and remove a generous portion of the old soil. monstera are happiest in a very airy soil mixture and this heavy amount of mold means the soil is much too dense. i’d also suggest removing the plastic cup as having your monstera’s aerial roots in water can cause them to rot. it’s best to just redirect the aerial roots into the pot. your monstera also looks like it could use some support. i’d suggest adding a trellis or plank to the back of the plant and adjusting the stems to all face the same way when you repot. monstera have a “back” where the aerial roots grow and a “face” where the leaves grow towards. in your photo it appears the face of the plant, which should be towards the light, is pointed away from the window. monstera are not a plant you want to rotate regularly #### Holly Wuuhoo replied on 2023-12-27 Okay! Thank you, I have removed the plastic cup. I had seen friends do that to their monsteras and seen it on other plant videos so thought I would give it a try but noticed it was rotting the root. I have also heard it’s best to repot in the spring to not disturb or stress the plant. Would you say it is fine to do it now anyways? #### Plant Father replied on 2023-12-27 typically you do want to wait until spring (more light and warmer weather) but for a stressed or sick plant it’s a matter of weighing the risks/benefits of repotting during winter. in your case, especially since monstera are so hardy, i don’t see any issues with repotting now. i actually just rearranged and repotted some juvenile monstera stems yesterday ### Women are Water commented on 2023-12-28 While the mold might be harmless it is a sign that the soil is holding onto moisture. Which is not a good sign for the plant because they are prone to root rot. Monsteras prefer a chunky well draining mix. IME --- _Source: the Planta community (https://getplanta.com). Reading is open to everyone. To post, comment and like, get the Planta app: https://getplanta.com/download_