---
title: "Does anyone know what this mouldy fungus would be? It’s at the bottom…"
description: "Does anyone know what this mouldy fungus would be? It’s at the bottom of the pot and when giving a good hose down with the shower the water ran out a yellow…"
url: "https://getplanta.com/community/lKxUkhzRR_aIJD7o1QvtwQ/v0DOx2tzSV-YzfNdJRYc9A"
community: "Pests, diseases and problems"
author: "Hayley"
published: "2024-02-20T18:38:29.889791Z"
language: "en"
image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/ZzfTzlXh7rcDHpIOUY8BNyE16HJKXn8Y58UFYmFiVIQ/62kxUzLCRm-MTElOiz0JVw.webp?size=large"
---

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# Does anyone know what this mouldy fungus would be? It’s at the bottom…

_Posted by Hayley on 2024-02-20_

Does anyone know what this mouldy fungus would be? It’s at the bottom of the pot and when giving a good hose down with the shower the water ran out a yellow colour?

This plant is kept on a high shelf in the office so I generally just top water it and haven’t took it out of the pot in a good few months

Other than this the plant is really healthy

![Attachment 1 of 3](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/ZzfTzlXh7rcDHpIOUY8BNyE16HJKXn8Y58UFYmFiVIQ/62kxUzLCRm-MTElOiz0JVw.webp?size=large)

![Attachment 2 of 3](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/ZzfTzlXh7rcDHpIOUY8BNyE16HJKXn8Y58UFYmFiVIQ/AHO-7C71TIyywe87Mq9HVg.webp?size=large)

![Attachment 3 of 3](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/ZzfTzlXh7rcDHpIOUY8BNyE16HJKXn8Y58UFYmFiVIQ/kMsrE3P8S8um_Fsphsj_hQ.webp?size=large)

## 6 comments

### smelliot commented on 2024-02-20

looks like a bad case of powdery mildew. often happens when too much water or not enough drainage. get rid of affected soil and replace with a well draining soil, perlite, lava rocks, or leca. could also use a safe fungicide.

#### Plant Father replied on 2024-02-20

it’s not powdery mildew, just a common soil fungus that is harmless to the plant. changing the soil to something with more drainage is a good idea for its repot in spring though

### Plant Father commented on 2024-02-20

looks like it’s been over watered or there isn’t enough airflow around the bottom of the pot. if it’s in a cache pot that’s too tight that’s likely the cause, especially if it’s in a darker spot. what species is the plant? having it in a spot with more light would most likely be beneficial

#### Hayley replied on 2024-02-20

Thank you! It is in a partially shaded area, It hasn’t been repotted in about two years so I’m just waiting on some potting mediums to arrive so I can give it a new pot and soil. With the mildew would it be a good idea to give the roots a bit of a spray with some hydrogen peroxide just to make sure nothing carries over?

#### Hayley replied on 2024-02-20

Sorry fungus\*

#### Plant Father replied on 2024-02-20

what i would do is gently detangle the roots a bit with the aid of some running water (love an outdoor hose for this), leave a bit of soil attached so you don’t tear off any roots or root hairs, spray the whole root system with undiluted (3%, topical) hydrogen peroxide, repot, and water to settle the soil and rinse away the peroxide. this’ll make sure most or hopefully all the mold spores are dead or gone

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