First what type of soil is this, Miracle Gro? Find another soil to use and keep removing and use the cinnamon or sand mixed in? I should really put them into different soil?

Yes Karma, it is MG. So are you saying I should get new soil and re-pot? My peace lily is just about to bloom, I don't think I should re-pot it now. There are a few others I don;t think it's a good time to re-pot either. Was hoping someone knew of something I could spray or sprinkle on the top of the soil that is more permanent than the cinnamon?

I think MG is a terrible potting mix, especially the ones that have stuff added. I'd probably transplant them if possible but if you can't you can try spraying some diluted hydrogen peroxide on the surface of the soil.
Karyn

What is a better kind that would be available at Lowes or Home Depot? We don't have much for garden centers around here.

Garden Sulphur dust will take care of most mildews on soils.

Here is a link that might be useful: Safer's Sulprur Dust

Thank you very much ladies, I'll do the peroxide for now till I can get the Sulfur Dust. I really dont want to have to repot if I don't have to. And honestly, this time of year I SO don't have the money for new potting soil, would have to wait till after xmas for that.

Karyn, When should I do that? When I see the mold, or would I do it like once a week to prevent, Or only when I see it? After I water, Or when the soil is dry?

Thanks again, I really appreciate it.
Daniella

Daniella if there is a Feed Store or Hardware Store near you should be able to find the sulphur there.. It is not expensive here just a few dollars..Great link Ruth Ann...
Chena

Here is another link for organic solutions...

CORNMEAL JUICE
Cornmeal Juice is a natural fungal control for use in any kind of sprayer. Make by soaking horticultural cornmeal in water at one cup per gallon of water. Put the cornmeal a nylon stocking bag to hold in the larger particles. The milky juice of the cornmeal will permeate the water and this mix should be sprayed without further diluting. Cornmeal Juice can be mixed with compost tea, Garrett Juice or any other natural foliar feeding spray.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Dirt Dr.

I'd spray the surface of the soil every 3 or 4 days, more often if you see mold. Don't saturate it, just enough to dampen the surface. I use regular H2O2 that I get at the drug store and dilute it 10:1 water to H2O2. What is getting moldy? Is there any foliage that's dropping, maybe something off of a nearby plant? Unless soil is constantly damp I haven't seen mold growing without there being something specific that's it's growing on. You do need good air circulation. Add a small fan if necessary.

I use a brand of soil called Fafard but get it at a nursery.
Karyn

Just a few other possible, on hand(?) solutions. I wrote this for someone at the plumeria forum last night.

Get your hands on some Neem oil. It has always successfully killed that white mold that grows on unsterile soil. It doesn't take much for a tiny bit of something to rot and start this mold. Neem is good for insects too- get your hands on some of this stuff even if the following solutions work for you now. It'll be good in the garden come spring and especially for killing and preventing hatching of insects. Mix a teaspoon in an old clean fantastic bottle (what ever you have that size) with 4 drops of dish detergent and fill the rest up with water. Shake well and in between uses. Squirt over soil top. You'd have to call around to indian (as from india) or maybe oriental food stores if you want to buy it locally for as cheap as possible. A hydroponic/garden store might have it but expect to pay. I bought mine from eBay.

Optionally, 1 part bleach in 10 parts water. Squirt over soil top lightly, you can always resquirt if necessary. I haven't tried this myself but I hear it works without hurting your plant. Just don't get it on your leaves. This is probably the last thing I try and only if I I had no other option and needed to...like NOW. Others say this works.

An rewritten exert from another website. One simple treatment can help keep your house plants mold free. Taheboo tea (this can be purchased at most health food stores - I, Sandy personally never heard of it...lol). Just adding this tea to your house plant water in a mild solution is enough to do the trick.

I don't know if this works I just read it elsewhere while looking for a chamomile tea tactic. Chamomile tea is used to prevent dampening off and for mold but it didn't work for me, could be the tea was just too old or not strong enough, or not seeped enough but you might have that around the house. 1 cup of boiled water, seep teabag in for 20min or til cooled down. Maybe it take 2 teabags or a true 1 cup coffee cup. ...... lol...I wish I had tried this again but they tiny babies and bit the dust before I could.

kimisdad did a follow up with her tactics, one of which is the one Karyn uses. Obviously we can all appreciate a handy cheap home remedy. I like the hydrogen peroxide method, but I just learn that today and haven't tried it.
http://www.kimisplumeria.com/Faq-Home.htm

and check out the two specific articles;
Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) and Plumeria
http://www.kimisplumeria.com/Faqs-PDF/F-7-Hydrogen%20Peroxide.pdf

What are Insecticidal Soaps?
http://www.kimisplumeria.com/Faqs-PDF/F-9-What%20are%20Insecticidal%20Soaps.pdf

My husband used to have some kind of climbing ivy in his office that he swears he never watered with anything but cold black coffee. I told him to keep his coffee away from my brugs, lol.

I am a sulfur, copper or Bayer systemic person. For valuable ornamentals I would use Bayer. Everything outside gets copper or sulfur with copper being the number one for me. Maybe a moisture meter the top can be dry and the bottom wet. (4.00 at Lowes) I cannot raise a plant in a pot without 1/2 perlite and 1/2 bark fines (mulch). It must be me cause everyone else can. Just too many problems without fast draining soil in a humid area.

Jim

I always throw a handful or two of sharp sand in my potting soil and perlite mix. Never had a mold problem ...not even in soggy LA. I think the sand keeps it away.

Wow!! So much good info!! Great links! Thank you all soooo much!

I actually have been using the chamomile tea treatment, along with cinnamon, but they aren't working.

As far as I can tell, there is nothing falling onto the surface of the soil to cause the mold. It's funny because, my Esperanza was dropping leaves, none were ever in long enough to start to rot, and no signs of mold, but now THAT just started getting the mold today! When inspecting after I posted earlier I saw it and quick scooped it out, threw in some cinnamon. The peace lily and the others haven't dropped any leaves and have never had anything on the surface of the soil. The mold just kinda covers the surface, and spreads fast!

I am def gonna do the peroxide treatment..and when I can I will pick up the Neem oil. I'll keep going with everything you ladies suggest until something works, lmao.
Awesome that they say on kimisplumeria that the H2O2 works on fungus gnats as well. I thought the only thing that worked on them was Neem Oil.

I had actually thought today about doing a 1:10 bleach water combo, but thought it may hurt the plants. That's def something to keep in mind as a last resort though.

hmmm coffee, I can't waste any of that! I need all I can get! lol!

OK so, before I go to bed tonight I am gonna douse these babies with some H2O2. And the cat better stay outta these pots tonight! He learned his lesson via squirt bottle, so now he's taken to digging in the pots while I am sleeping. Bad Kitty.
Thank you all so much..your life savers.
((hugs))
Daniella

I musta been posting when you two did..

Jim, I check the moisture regularly through the holes in the bottom of the pots. Seems to be fine drainage.

SJN, the pots that I have sand in do not have mold, I agree that that works, but I don't think that all the dif plants I have would appreciate that?

thanks again
Daniella

JimP - I forgot about the aspirin, but I've only read it recently. Here's a link for what it suppose to take care of, on page 6. The last page even has an article on brugmansias:
http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:PmcrePAjXHEJ:www.tcmastergardener.org/news2005july.pdf+brugmansia+shriveling+up&hl=en&gl=ca&ct=clnk&cd=3

Danielle, Your very welcome, that's what we're all here for, give or get advice.

The kitty is doing what a kitty would do. Animals are all preprogrammed, not like us humans who deliberately, out of free choice do choose where to do those things.

But that explains the mold. Get out a roll of tinfoil, make a long fat tube (that'll fit when you gently bend it in to a circle around your plant). Flatten it to put a gulley in it to hold your pepper. I'd rather not have pepper in my soil so make it so it won't fall out when you undo your tubing in order to take it out to water. Add orange peels to, if you've got them around, although they won't last as long as pepper, it'll serve to discourage her/him from nosing around there. -Sandy

Yes, I have heard that cats hate orange peels too. Doesn't faze my dog though he eats the orange peels, lol.

Sandy, TCMG very good link. I need to study more city MG sites. Pg 6 has the aspirin and the old flour and Buttermilk now it was "recently developed by scientist at Purdue." LOL These home remedies have been around for hundreds of years and passed down farmer to farmer. I like the old with the new. I learned a lesson from MR. Mite. Pesticides cause as much problems if not more than they create.

Another great way of getting rid of fungus gnats and other larva that can infest the soil is Bt. I buy Mosquito Dunks and break of a small piece and let it soak in a gallon of water. I use that water on the infested plants. You can reuse the same piece of Mosquito Dunks for quite a while. I also use the treated water in a spray bottle similar to the H2O2. You can't use them together because the H2O2 will kill the Bt.
Karyn

More great info, you guys are awesome!
And that's why I posted this question on this forum..cuz all you Brug people are the tops, I tell ya!

The cat had stopped for awhile, due to the water bottle squirting, but I gues he realized when I am asleep he can do whatever he wants, lol.

Do you really think that explains the mold? How?

I gotta get these kids to school, so I can't really get into that link right now, but I will! Also very curious about the aspirin, gonna have to read up on that as well.
thanks again,
Daniella

Daniella: The peroxide is a good cheap way to disinfect top of soil. HOWEVER, be sure not to spray the plant or the seedlings with it. As Karyn suggested merely mist the top of the soil. Do not saturate.
I've killed with it! ;0( Gloria

I used the peroxide..on my jasmine, some leaves got hit, even though I tried not to..think they'll die? I didn't saturate just made sure to mist the soil as carefully as possible. O I hope the jasmine survives! Think just those leaves may die that got hit or the whole plant???
I also have fans going right now in all plant areas. Before I was just using them for about an hour a day, if hubby knew he'd freak, lmao..electric bill just went up 60% here. Should be illegal, that much of a hike. They did the same thing 2 yrs ago..60%..ridiculous.

Daniella, you sent me your mold, lol. Just kidding I just noticed one of my potted brugs had some on the surface and I keep them pretty dry. But I do mist every day to keep down insects. Maybe thats how I got it and it is the MG potting soil. Going tonight after work to find another brand.

I think the jasmine should be fine as long as the H2O2 was diluted. Our utility company pulled a similar act here. They tried to hike the rates 71% but that landed in court for a long time. I think they have to implement it over a 2 year period or something like that. My electric can easily run over $500/mo during the summer already. I can't imagine what it will be like next year. It really is criminal.
Karyn

O NO F4F!! I'm sorry! I mist daily too, I hadn't thought of the misting, I'm sure that doesn't help things. I am really starting to think that it is just the MG potting soil. Seems like everything I potted using that one bag got it first, then it spread to other plants, maybe from me cross-contaminating while gathering fallen leaves and checking for dryness, etc. I always try to be so careful when i buy potting soil, make sure no buggies flyin around it, and people probably think I am nuts when they see me smelling the bags for mildewy smell. This bag seemed to be fine.
Well, I hope I didn't spread it to anyone else, lol. But maybe it'll help others to pay closer attention to their soil if they haven't been, and now they'll know what to do, after all there are SO many helpful links in this thread. Thank you all again for being so helpful!

Karyn, yes the peroxide was diluted. Believe me, if it croaks, I'll be bawlin and you'll all know about it, lol.
Wow, 71% is totally outrageous. Yeah, it probably is a 2 year thing since that seems to be how it's going here.
I need a wind-turbine or 2. Someday when I have a nice big house and land I will have them, and solar panels..screw the elec comp..go green!
Daniella

F4F: I mist since I realized I have a "heavy" hand watering these things. They get the first round of damp soil - but because you can make your hair stand on end by touching a TV here (sooooooooo dry)- I mist after that. I "water" only when misting can't seem to moisten the soil.

I mist the soil and plant and leaves (water only). Karyn helped me through THAT rather expensive learning curve. (grin)

Haven't seen any mold lately - but should go get some H2O2 just in case.

Most of the time, anything that got mold in the soil was something that was already dead (grin) and I just wouldn't accept the fact. LOL