--- title: "I need some serious help. I’m a relative newbie to plants, but over…" description: "I need some serious help. I’m a relative newbie to plants, but over the last 18 months I’ve been very successful and now have around 50 plants! All of a…" url: "https://getplanta.com/community/lKxUkhzRR_aIJD7o1QvtwQ/caOZNHzeRKSHr7fMy8mU8w" community: "Pests, diseases and problems" author: "00Keeks" published: "2024-10-04T18:45:26.721439Z" language: "en" image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/ZudCN3nvAOTpXZQkiTtF6C1wWknRcBESpeR8rGO6fdI/5SwoYYxBSTaRC6SNDH_ZiA.webp?size=large" --- [Community](https://getplanta.com/community.md) / [Pests, diseases and problems](https://getplanta.com/community/lKxUkhzRR_aIJD7o1QvtwQ.md) # I need some serious help. I’m a relative newbie to plants, but over… _Posted by 00Keeks on 2024-10-04_ I need some serious help. I’m a relative newbie to plants, but over the last 18 months I’ve been very successful and now have around 50 plants! All of a sudden, everything that has been thriving is now struggling or dead. Several pots have what looks like mild, but also appears webby if you look closely. Until a few weeks ago, I had every plant in straight potting soil (fox farms) but I wanted to put them all in plastic nursery pots so I could monitor root growth. When I repotted, I added perlite, orchid bark, hort. Charcoal, and some leca. In an attempt to create an airy mix I’ve somehow done the opposite (the leca is the perp, perhaps). Before I spend $100 on potting soil and repot everything again, can anyone tell me what I did wrong? I don’t think I overwater, but am I? Am I using too much fertilizer? Did I screw up with the repot soil mix? I’m not seeing evidence of pests (besides gnats). Please help. 😭 ![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/ZudCN3nvAOTpXZQkiTtF6C1wWknRcBESpeR8rGO6fdI/5SwoYYxBSTaRC6SNDH_ZiA.webp?size=large) ## 17 comments ### Kalli mellon commented on 2024-10-04 That is just mold it happens more when the drainage isn’t very good, a little is fine but this amount may be because the plant isn’t draining correctly ### 00Keeks commented on 2024-10-04 I took the soil out of my ficus tineke and it’s still saturated. I haven’t watered it in weeks. Do you think maybe the leca is not allowing it to drain? #### Kades replied on 2024-10-04 How much perlite? Comparatively leca retains way less moisture than perlite. Also if the soil already had perlite you may be a too high of a ratio? #### 00Keeks replied on 2024-10-04 I don’t think the fox farms has perlite in it, but I could have put way too much in. It was a few weeks back but I think I went 1:1 ratio with all the other ingredients. #### Kades replied on 2024-10-04 Which bag did you use? ### 00Keeks commented on 2024-10-04 Fox farms ocean forest I think? #### 00Keeks replied on 2024-10-04 Composted Forest Humus,Sphagnum Peat Moss,Pacific Northwest Sea-going Fish Emulsion,Crab Meal,Shrimp Meal,Earthworm Castings,Sandy Loam,PERLITE,Bat Guano,Granite Dust,Norwegian Kelp,And Oyster Shell (for PH Adjustment). #### Kades replied on 2024-10-04 I think with the mix you have it’s just going to be super dense and hold water. It really depends on how much you added to the bag. Most people do a minimum of 10% perlite to soil but I know you can do more than that. I think the most you’d want to do is 30% perlite. But with your other added amendments it might just be too much since the fox farms has sphagnum moss ### 00Keeks commented on 2024-10-04 Dang it #### Kades replied on 2024-10-04 I’m sorry!! You could reuse this soil honestly, you’d have to sterilize it though and do some more amendments #### 00Keeks replied on 2024-10-04 Thank you so much for your help! I’ll look into sterilizing it before I fully replace everything ### Sunny commented on 2024-10-04 Peat moss plus slow drying soil feeds the fungus. I avoid peat moss in my houseplants for this reason. The Fox Farm has several fertilizers: humus, fish, crab, guano and kelp in some percentages. It sounds like a lot of fungus food. Perlite assists drainage. It’s in my hoya mix up to 20% with no fungus issues. #### 00Keeks replied on 2024-10-06 Do you have a preferred soil you use? #### Sunny replied on 2024-10-09 I don’t have a brand I use. I mix my own potting soil. I have a lot of small hoyas. So, an orchid mix with perlite, coco coir, worm castings and orchid bark is my usual mix. ### Alessia 🦢 commented on 2024-10-06 Sort of looks like mold due to poor drainage, maybe add a bit more orchid bark and spray the mold with a 3-1 water and hydrogen peroxide ratio as a de-fungicide!!! If it persists maybe just repot!!! Good luck!!! #### 00Keeks replied on 2024-10-06 I’ve seen the hydrogen peroxide tip a few times - I’ll try it - thank you. #### Alessia 🦢 replied on 2024-10-06 No problem!!! Hope it works out. --- _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_