White plaque on the ground in seedlings is a sign that something went wrong when it was grown. This is a fairly common problem, not only for seedlings, but it can also occur on the upper soil layer of indoor plants. It is not worth worrying because of this, because if you find a problem in time, you can quite successfully deal with it.

Signs and causes of plaque

Most often, the plaque is a colony of fungal microorganisms. Fungal spores enter the soil from the air, where they actively begin to multiply, after which the surface layer of the soil is covered with white mold (sometimes it looks more like yellow - it depends on the mold strain. Often, plaque from the soil also transfers to the inner walls of containers, in which growing your seedlings.

Spores of fungi are present in the air, but begin to multiply, only when they get into a favorable environment for them. They are favored by the following factors:

1. Excessive humidity of the air / substrate.
2. Dim lighting.
3. Temperatures below 20 degrees Celsius.

The second variant of covering the earth with a white coating is efflorescence, that is, small crystals of salts. It manifests itself only in the soil, does not go to the walls of the pots. It is easy to distinguish it from mold: it is harder, and when you try to stretch it, it simply crumbles. If you look closely, you can see the crystal structure.

Here is what leads to its appearance:

1. The pot is too large or simply excessive watering. In this case, the plant does not have time to absorb the entire volume of water, the moisture evaporates, and the salts contained in it are drawn to the surface.
2. Use for watering hard water.
3. Dry indoor air.
4. Lack of drainage holes in the tank.
5. Excess fertilizer.

What to do when a white plaque is detected?

The easiest way to “defeat” the crystalline coating:

1. Dry the earth well. The best way to do this is to put the pot in the sun.
2. We remove a thin layer of earth with a touch.
3. Loosen the soil under it.
4. Next, we water the seedlings only with settled water (at least a day), we make sure that we do not overfill.

If the ground is covered with mold, it will be a little more difficult to eliminate the plaque. First of all, we also dry the earth and remove the soil layer. But usually this is not enough, and after watering the growth of mycelium resumes with renewed vigor.

To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to disinfect the soil. This can be done in the following ways:

1. We prepare a solution of potassium permanganate with a low concentration, the water should be slightly pink. We spill the earth with this solution, making sure that its entire surface is moistened.
2. We use hydrogen peroxide, the required concentration: 5 milliliters of a 30% solution per liter of water. It is not necessary to water the earth with peroxide, we spray the surface from the spray gun.
3. If all else fails, you can use special fungicides (substances that selectively kill fungi): trichodermin, trichocin. We use them according to the instructions.

Mold propagates well in soil with high acidity, so a good option to combat it is to use special deoxidizers sold in stores (dolomite flour, wood resin or ordinary lime).

They need to be applied to a surface cleared of fungus. To strengthen the effect, you can add to the deoxidants sheet soil and humus.

Another good anti-mold agent is Fitosporin-M. It can be used not only when a raid has already appeared, but also in advance. This drug protects against any bacterial and fungal diseases, is safe, environmentally friendly and in itself is an organic fertilizer.

It is a culture of bacteria bacteria Bacillis subtilis, which are useful for plants, preserved in a substrate, which prey on harmful microorganisms, preventing infection. The drug is diluted in accordance with the instructions and is subsequently used for watering seedlings every third time (two irrigation with plain water, the third with Fitosporin-M).

Preventative measures

The best way to deal with plaque is to prevent it from appearing even before the earth turns white. First of all, the soil used for growing seedlings must be disinfected.

This can be done using heat treatment: heating in the oven or, conversely, freezing for up to several days. Then the earth is washed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then dried. You can start landing work.

After the seedlings are planted, it is worth mulching the soil (covering it on top with mulch for protection). As a mulch for seedlings, it is best to use ash, charcoal or powdered activated carbon. This helps retain moisture at the roots of the plant and prevents the formation of mold.

The next important link in prevention is proper watering. Be sure to consider these tips:

1. The use of hard water is almost guaranteed to lead to salt deposits. If you are not lucky with the quality of water supply, use a special filter. In extreme cases, defend water for at least a day.
2. In addition, you can soften the water by immersing a rag bag filled with peat in a container with it while standing.
3. Water should be at room temperature, too cold or hot will not work.
4. In no case do not water too often and do not overfill.

Follow all these measures - and you will not have to watch how the surface of the soil turns white, and your seedlings will be strong and healthy!

Even with reliable protection and careful care of greenhouses, the soil can take on a green hue. If it happened that the earth in the greenhouse turned green and covered with bloom, then the first thing to do is to find out the cause of this phenomenon. After this, it is necessary to conduct an effective struggle by choosing the appropriate methods and techniques.

So that in future the land in the greenhouse or greenhouse does not turn green, it is important to comply with the rules for the operation of the greenhouse and correctly carry out all necessary measures.

Why it happens?

In most cases, the earth in the greenhouse turns green when plants such as moss and algae appear.

  With a rare appearance of light from the sun, moss settles in the ground, and with bright sun, algae can cover the soil. If the earth turned green in the greenhouse, then in addition to the source, you need to find out the reasons for its appearance.

• Most often, the soil becomes green due to excess moisture in the mail. Excessive watering of plants, as well as leakage of water into the greenhouse due to natural phenomena such as precipitation or melting snow, can affect this. What to do to avoid such a problem? The most important thing is to place the greenhouse in the right place (exclude the lowland and places with a close location of groundwater);
• Another reason why the earth turns green can be an increased level of soil acidity. Plants such as moss love to live in acidic and acidified soil, which deprives the nutrients necessary for the development of planted crops;
• Another reason why the earth turns green in a greenhouse is the excessive addition of fertilizers that increase productivity to the soil. The most common are fertilizers with the addition of phosphorus, which favorably affect the growth of vegetable crops, such as tomatoes. But their excessive addition to the soil stimulates the population of the greenhouse with moss. This is the answer to the question why the earth turns green;
• The absence or lack of air ventilation is another reason why the ground turned green in the greenhouse. A lack of oxygen provokes the appearance of a plant like moss.

What to do to prevent?

The most effective way to prevent the appearance of greenery in a greenhouse is to eliminate the causes of the development of diseases such as moss and algae. What to do?

• Reduce watering, preferring the drip version of the water supply;
• In the presence of moss, provide better penetration into the greenhouse or greenhouse of sunlight;
• In the fight against a plant such as algae, it is necessary to reduce the supply of solar heat;
• If the soil is covered with plaque, try to establish effective ventilation of the greenhouse.

Before eliminating green ailments, it is necessary to focus all forces on reducing the soil moisture level in the greenhouse.

How to get rid?

If your greenhouse has become covered with bloom and the earth has turned green, then you can use any of the methods to fix the problem:

• Implementation of measures to reduce the acid level in the soil;
• Application of a method based on soil mulching;
• Change of the affected soil layer;
• Application of measures to optimize crop rotation.

Measures to reduce soil acidity

By normalizing such an important soil indicator as acidity, it is possible to eliminate the appearance of green in the soil in the greenhouse. What to do to determine the level of acidity? This will require litmus paper, which allows an assessment of the pH environment. For the most accurate results, you can use special soil meters, like the Alamovsky device. With their help, you can set all the necessary indicators of the soil, such as humidity, temperature and light.

• To determine the acid state of the earth, there is a folk method. To use it, you need cherry or currant leaves, which need to be steamed in water. Next, in the finished infusion, it is necessary to place a small amount of earth from the greenhouse. If the water turned green, then the level of acid is normal, redness indicates increased acidity, blueness indicates a decrease in acidity;
• Another way to determine soil acidity is the height level of different weed plants and herbs. If the soil is acidic, then plants such as plantain, sorrel, willow tea and rhubarb will actively grow here. If the earth has a weakly acidic composition, then other plants like clover, mackerel and coltsfoot will reign in the greenhouse.

What to do if the greenhouse turns green due to increased acidity? The first thing that can cope with the increased acidity of the soil is alkaline compounds and sorbents. The second option to solve this problem can be siderat plants, such as rye, oats, lupine and phacelia, which can reduce the acidified environment.

Among the most popular products with the property of lowering the acidity of the soil, there are substances such as slaked or lake lime, lime or dolomite flour, ash from peat or wood and ground chalk.

How to do soil mulching

The question of what to do if the earth turns green in the greenhouse is completely resolved with the help of such an event as mulching the earth. This method will protect the soil from excessive moisture by providing quick drying. The mulching procedure can be carried out using sawdust, straw, hay, compost, dry grass or dried wood bark. In the presence of an acidic environment, do not mulch with needles, which can further increase acidity.

How to do mulching? To do this, a number of conditions must be observed.

• The application of the protective layer should occur on top of well-watered earth;
• Before the mulching procedure, loosening of the earth is required;
• Around the stem of the culture, it is necessary to leave a small space that will provide air circulation.

How to change the composition of the soil?

When the earth turns green in the greenhouse, it is possible to solve the problem in another way, which is labor intensive and efficient. If the soil in the greenhouse is green and covered with plaque, then the removal of the affected soil layer and its replacement with a new layer will help to change the situation. This cardinal method can be used when other measures have not yielded a positive result.

What to do with this option to combat green bloom? The procedure for removing the upper soil layer (with a thickness of more than 25 cm) occurs in the early spring before planting events or in the autumn after harvesting procedures. Next, the remaining kidney must be covered with a thin layer of such a substance as quicklime. After a day has passed, it is necessary to fill in the water, which will complete the quenching procedure. As a result, a white coating will appear on the surface. After a few days (from 3 to 4), you can begin to lay a new soil layer. With such an event, do not forget to ensure good ventilation in the greenhouse.

How to do crop rotation optimization?

To reduce the addition of a large amount of fertilizer, it will be necessary to carry out optimization measures for crop rotation. To begin with, vegetable crops should be divided into types, depending on the requirements for their fertilizer: crops that require thorough fertilizing, on average, and vegetables that do not need fertilizer.  Crop rotation optimization measures include the following: applying a large proportion of fertilizer, adding fertilizing for 3 years, changing crops once a year. In order for fertilizers that remain in the soil to be consumed, it is recommended that crops be planted off-season.

The problem of mold in the greenhouse is not a very common phenomenon. Typically, such rooms are well ventilated, and the transparent walls and ceiling - let in enough sunlight to prevent the fungus from developing.

If we talk about what to do when such a problem arises, then there are several options (from budget to expensive).

Why does mold appear in the greenhouse?

It develops due to several reasons at once:

There is no normal ventilation (air exchange is not enough). Problems with airing can concern both the entire room and its individual sections (for example, a corner is not aired, and then mold can develop there).

High humidity is supported. This can occur due to stagnation of water on the ground and on plants. Stagnation occurs due to excessive watering or leakage on the watering hoses (if there are cracks on it).

There are a large number of wooden surfaces (and if they are not painted yet, this speeds up the appearance of mold).

Inadequate lighting. This is an unlikely factor, since there is usually no problem with lighting in greenhouses - otherwise the plants simply could not grow normally.

The main reason is precisely the first reason - the lack of a normal ventilation system. If the air stagnates and there are other negative factors (humidity, lack of lighting) - mold will appear sooner or later.

Where exactly does the fungus appear?

There are several "favorite" places where fungus appears in the greenhouse:

wooden structures: beams, furniture, racks, boxes;

on the soil and on the plants themselves (especially on tomatoes, cucumbers);

areas with stagnant air and / or with a lack of lighting: these are usually the corners on the floor, the space under the racks (if there are racks in the greenhouse on which there are boxes with plants).

In such a greenhouse, mold can appear under and between drawers, behind and inside drawers

Glass and polycarbonate, if mold is covered, already with serious infection, when the fungus struck the wooden surfaces nearby.

How is this dangerous?

What exactly hit the greenhouse: black, white or gray (soot) mold - there is no difference. Any mold is dangerous for humans, and for plants, and for the construction itself.

Negative consequences:

Damage to the structure itself (construction) if it is made of wooden materials.

Damage to wooden products inside the greenhouse (racks, boards, boxes).

Damage to plants (decrease in growth rate, decrease in metabolic processes in plant tissues, weakening before other diseases).

Harm to people who work inside the greenhouse. Inhalation of mold spores can aggravate or cause problems such as bronchial asthma, dermatitis, cough, and itchy skin. Allergic reactions may also occur.

At first, mold infection may not manifest itself in any way (while the concentration of spores in the air is still small).

What to do if mold appears in the greenhouse: methods of struggle (+ video)

To get rid of mold in a greenhouse, you need:

Remove the plaque itself.

Understand what caused mold.

Eliminate the causes of its occurrence. If favorable conditions remain for the development of the fungus, it will continue to appear.

What exactly can remove the plaque:

Folk remedies. The option is cheap and simple - many of the suitable substances can be found on the farm (no need to go to the store). But these are not specialized tools. It is worth using them if the fungus has not grown too much and has not eaten too much into the tree.

Purchased funds. A more effective method of struggle - specialized drugs reliably kill spores. They are sold in the form of a liquid, ready for use (that is, there is no need to cook, dilute anything).

Smoke bombs (sulfur or tobacco). They are used both for prophylaxis and to combat mold that has already appeared. Set on fire in the greenhouse. The smoke that forms during combustion kills spores. Compared to purchased liquids, it is a more effective method (smoke penetrates into each slot), but a longer method (after using the checkers, the greenhouse will have to be aired for 2-3 days).

The optimal control scheme: to remove plaque - use purchased funds, and 1-2 times a season - fumigate the room with a saber.

Workflow: Step-by-Step Plan

Action plan:

We find all places affected by mold. To do this, you will have to turn everything inside the greenhouse: move the racks, drawers, inspect every corner, look under the leaves of plants and plants that grow along the edges close to the walls.

We take out to the street all the items that can be taken out. In case of severe damage to the product, it is better to throw it away.

Open the windows and doors of the greenhouse.

We put on protective equipment (gloves, a respirator, ideally also glasses so that mold spores do not get into the eyes).

We process the greenhouse with the selected product. Since greenhouses usually have a small area, mold spores must be present on all surfaces. Therefore, for reliability, it is better to go everywhere.

Leave the room to ventilate.

If there were large mold colonies on the walls or ceiling of the greenhouse, treatment can be repeated after 1-2 days.

If you decide to use a checker - it can be used both in place of liquid products, and in addition to them. In what sequence to do this (first treatment with drugs, then checker, or vice versa) - it does not matter.

If mold has appeared on the soil, special sorbent substances must be used for its processing. They increase the alkaline level in the soil, because of which the fungus cannot develop on it.

To prevent mold from recurring:

Ensure normal air exchange in the greenhouse - the room must always be ventilated constantly. It is also useful for plants that need fresh air and which can be affected by high humidity. For ventilation of greenhouses often use window leaves.

One of the most common problems when growing indoor plants and garden seedlings is considered to be waterlogged land in a flower pot. Because of this nuisance, leaves fall from a flower, plants, and mold, rot, an unpleasant odor appear in the soil or flying midges that feed on quickly decaying roots. The first symptom of excess moisture in the soil is a white coating on its surface. How to remove the smell and get rid of it, and what to do with the flower?

If the earth in the flower pot or in the garden was flooded, then emergency measures must be taken to save the flower. How to save a drenched flower in the country? First of all, the flower from the pot needs to be removed and left for several hours to dry. It is advisable to plant the flower in new soil, but if necessary, you can save the old land with reuse. To do this, it must be treated with antibacterial solutions and steamed in a microwave for 15 minutes. After this, the soil is well dried and used for planting.

If the earth in the flower pot has not yet been covered with green mold, then the symptoms of waterlogging are eliminated quite easily. On top of the soil, a little clay, sand or wood ash is poured, which absorb excess moisture. You can also make loosening the soil with a wooden stick and make deep punctures in it, which eliminate excess moisture. The easiest way to dry the soil is to cover the potted soil with ordinary paper napkins.  In case of problems with the soil, it is very important to check the drainage holes of the landing tank. After all, they can be clogged, which is why the earth in the flower pot is constantly wet and does not dry out. How to make a flower pot with your own hands, you can find out.

Surface coating

If the earth in the flower pot receives an excess of water, then a white or yellow coating appears on the surface of the soil. The main reason for this is watering with very hard water. Because of this, a calcareous precipitate forms on the surface of the soil, and it whitens. Fix this problem in several ways. The first thing they start with is to exclude watering flowers directly from the tap. She must stand for one day. You can also add citric acid to the water. For one liter of water, half a teaspoon of the substance, due to this it is possible to neutralize the calcareous compounds.

In addition, to prevent the formation of white plaque from above, the soil is covered with expanded clay, which absorbs excess moisture. And you can sprinkle the soil in a pot with large river sand, which is loosened together with the ground. Such events have a beneficial effect on the health of the roots of the flower. The next way to remove excess moisture is to remove the topsoil and add dry, leafy soil to the pot. The surest and easiest way to eliminate plaque on the ground is to install a water filter in the house that will soften hard water. To soften the water, rag bags with peat are lowered into it.

Planter mold

When the earth in the flower pot is very wet, it becomes a hotbed for the growth of mold, so the plant needs to provide proper watering and good drainage holes that will not allow stagnation of water. If the soil is already moldy and soil black bugs are wound up, then watering is immediately stopped, and the root system of the plant is dried. The outer layer of soil must be removed at a height of at least 2 cm and replaced with a fresh substrate.

If these measures did not give a positive result and the earth in the flower pot remained moist, then all the soil will have to be replaced. Before planting, the flower together with the earthen lump is removed from the pot and left to dry for at least one day. Old soil needs to be thrown out, and new steamed at high temperature. If a ceramic pot is used for planting, then it should be rinsed with boiling water. A ceramic pot needs to be boiled in water for several minutes.

When the earth molds in a plastic pot, it is better to throw it away, since there are spores of fungi on its walls that will multiply in the new soil.  At the bottom of the pot should be a drainage layer of expanded clay. Sprinkle the topsoil with sand, which helps to avoid high humidity.

Cats in the ground

Sometimes the earth in a flower pot is covered with small midges that feed on rot. The first thing that starts the fight against midges in orchids is the removal of all wilted and badly rotting parts of the flower that feed on harmful microorganisms and insects. It is very difficult to fight them, so it’s easier to get rid of the old soil, rinse the roots of the flower and plant it in a new, steamed substrate. It is also necessary to treat the roots before transplanting.

Waterlogged land in a flower pot willingly attracts small pests that lay their eggs on the ground. To prevent such a nuisance, the topsoil of the flower should always be dry, and sufficient drainage holes should be provided in the pot. To prevent the propagation of midges, the room in the house should be regularly ventilated and treated with special preparations against insects.

Near the domestic plants, it is advisable to hang flycatchers, as these insects are carriers of all kinds of plant diseases. You can also use folk remedies to combat midges. For example, take 20 grams of laundry soap and grate it. Then dissolve it in a liter of water and spray flowers with this composition once a week. Still the earth in the pot is watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, which also gives a good effect.

Unpleasant soil odor in a flower pot

When the earth in the flowerpot gives off an unpleasant odor, it stinks, then this indicates that mold and pathogenic bacteria are inside.

So that the earth does not smell, it is necessary to remove the upper part of the soil. The remaining soil is treated with a disinfectant solution of foundationazole or water with manganese. The missing part of the soil is replaced with fresh soil, which is pre-steamed in the microwave for 15 minutes. Then it is dried well and placed in a flower pot. It is also important to monitor drainage holes that may be clogged.

Why do animals eat and dig earth?

Usually young alabai puppies and kittens who just master the new world and try to taste everything, dig or eat land, grass, coal. How to wean a puppy or a child if he climbs and rakes the soil? The usual curiosity drives animals, so after several attempts to eat the earth everything stops. The puppy of that terrier will understand that the land is not tasty and will not try it anymore. However, this symptom is not curiosity, but the cause of the psychological state of the dog or cat. This happens due to the fact that the animal does not feel comfortable in the house or feels hostility towards a new family member.

Perhaps the owner treats the cat or dog badly, punishes him, and he takes revenge in this way. Sometimes animals gnaw and tear their master’s furniture, walls or shoes. Therefore, in order to understand why an animal licks clay and sand, digs or eats earth from a flower pot, it is necessary to examine its health, for example, for cat anemia. If the reasons lie in the personal hostility of the animal or in psychological discomfort, then the owner and his household should give the pet more affection. It is very important to communicate more with the pet, give it time, praise it, play with the animal.

Signs about a flower pot in a dream

When dreaming of flowers in pots, then this is one of the most favorable stories that predicts good luck and success in the future. Perhaps in front of a person waiting for a large financial reward, or he will buy expensive property. However, this interpretation is true in the case when the flower did not fall and dreamed of blossoming, green and fresh. If in a dream a person sees sluggish, dried flowers, then this may indicate troubles in the future. For example, there will be trouble at work, financial losses or quarrels in the family. When a flower crumbles in a dream, it speaks of disease.

If in a dream a person drops and smashes an empty pot on the floor of a room, spills the earth from a pot or breaks it, this may portend a future family disagreement, up to and including divorce. Also, the scattered land at night speaks of illness, loss of loved ones or financial difficulties. It is worth considering that the prediction of dreams may depend on who dreamed of a flower pot. For example, if a young girl dreamed of a beautiful flower, then a wedding awaits her. For older women, a blooming flower speaks of a possible pregnancy, and for older ladies such a dream promises the presence of diseases of the reproductive system.

Potted land decoration

When the earth is decorated in a flower pot, in most cases small gravel is used, which is painted with colorful dyes.

Painted pebbles are washed with water and poured into a flower pot with a lump up to a layer of up to 2 cm. If desired, colored stones make up patterns, drawings or ornaments. The main thing is to show imagination and use stones of different sizes for mulching, starting from 2-3 mm and ending with large specimens up to 1 cm.

Also, small orange gravel or coarse-grained, colored sand, which can be bought at a flower shop, is used to decorate the topsoil.

Usually the soil is decorated for cacti of different sizes in landscape design. Group plantings of succulents of different varieties, which are decorated with colorful pebbles, look very impressive. Even for decoration, you can use sea, small pebbles, pebbles. For plants that need high humidity, sphagnum moss is used, which makes the surface of the soil a deep green color. If the moss has lost its beneficial properties, then its upper layer becomes brown. In this case, it is replaced with a new moss. A lot of useful information in the article:.

This problem, for sure, is familiar to many who are fond of domestic plants. Sometimes it happens that the top layer in pots with your favorite flowers begins to slowly whiten. It seems that the mold is not like that. Then why is the earth covered in such a raid, and what is it lacking.

Why is the earth in pots covered with white coating?

I think many understand that most of these problems in the same floriculture usually reflect our mistakes when caring for plants. Such a "white veil" is an ordinary crust of salt. It can be white, and sometimes white-yellowish. In such a crust appears in pots simply - when the physical evaporation of water from the soil substantially prevails over the vaporization of the same water of the plant itself. Again, there are several reasons for this, as always:

• Perhaps the mechanical composition of the mixture that is in the flower pot is too heavy. That is why its high (sometimes even excessive) capillarity arises and because of this capillarity, water is more intensely drawn to the surface of the soil.

• Again, errors in watering the plant are not ruled out. Perhaps you immediately water with water that you just poured from under your tap. You do not need to do this, let her at least stand a little.

• Drainage at the bottom of the pot can be difficult. If so, then again evaporation from the very surface of the soil in the pot will be the main way to spend moisture.

• Perhaps you just overdone the mixture or have already purchased such a mixture. Indeed, many manufacturers of such soil mixtures do exactly that, and especially if they make this mixture for vegetables.

• "Overdone" with top dressing.

• And the simple reason that many people immediately think of is the banal dryness of the air itself. It is because of the dryness that evaporation is greatly enhanced and the salts are so “drawn” to the surface.

In addition to all these points, a white coating can easily appear due to fungal microflora. This microflora is again created by our diligence, which we exaggerate when watering. Therefore, to get rid of such a plaque, water your flowers correctly (read about it). That is, when the top layer of earth in the pot is already dry.

What to do and how to get rid?

To such a smaller white (and any other) plaque was less, you just need to fill the soil from the top with expanded clay. Of course, such a raid after some time may appear on expanded clay. Then they just clean it, wash it well and put it back in place.

• Another option is to sprinkle the earth in a pot with river sand. After that, the top layer with sand should be loosened. The very addition of sand and subsequent loosening of the soil is very useful for the roots of your plant. Also, the top layer itself can be removed and in its place simply add a good sheet of earth or no less good humus.

• The easiest way is to remove all this “whiteness” along with the earth, and then add new ones there.

• If the water in your home is hard (and it is for the most part), then you should use filters. You can also water for irrigation and soften. To do this, just drop a rag bag into the jar, where you need to put a little peat.

One of the options for the appearance of such a raid is dry air, which is not uncommon in the winter in our apartments. Because of this, we begin to water the plants more often, and for this reason the soil is covered with such a coating. (How everything turns out to be interconnected !?) In order to prevent such mistakes, watch this video.