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RE: Welcome to the Garden of Calathea
Welcome to steem :)
I'd love to read about your garden! I don't have many plants myself yet but mostly because I am scared that I am not treating them good.
Cool topics could be:
• How do you prevent mold in the earth?
• How do your plants handle their condition and when do you change pots?
• What earth do you use? And what is your opinion on coffee leftover to refresh it?
Hi @reggaemuffin, thanks so much for checking out my post. You shouldn't be too scared to try your hand at gardening, there are lots of plants that can be quite forgiving. Just remember, always better to under water than over water (and this will help with mold).
Your topic list is amazing, I will definitely cover those points and I have strong views regarding choice of earth/ potting mix - most people don't realise that peat (a large component of most commercial potting mix) is not really renewable and is quite destructive to the environment. I will definitely discuss alternative like coir!
Thank you for your response, I am following you and looking forward to your first in depth post on the topic :)
One quick question: What would you recommend when mold is forming on the earth? Is there still hope to save the plant somehow?
My recommendation would be to water the plant less, only when the top two inches of soil are dry. You can also sprinkle a layer of ground cinnamon on top of the earth - this will act as a natural fungicide.
You can also try putting the plant in a warm and sunny spot to help dry out the mold and kill it.
Worse case scenario, remove the plant from the pot and clean away all the mold from the plant's roots and stem. Then repot in fresh soil. If you're using the same pot, clean it out thoroughly. This method is the most traumatic for the plant.
Thank you, will try that out! There is not much sun at the moment, is there another way for a sunny and warm spot? Would putting it near the radiator work?
I probably wouldn't put the plant near the radiator, instead try putting it in a place that gets a breeze, like near a window.
Once the soil has dried out for the first inch or two, make sure that when you are watering the plant, the excess water is allowed to drain away.
You can also scoop the mold off the soil with a spoon, though try not to breathe any in. This probably won't stop it from growing back though and is more of a temporary fix.
I really hope this helps. Looking forward to hearing your results.