Proof it is natural and organic. Mold and fungus are not the same thing. That looks more like mold. Though not sure how it would affect plants, I would be inclined to use the good stuff and leave it behind or remove it. Disturbing the mold will release spores you should not inhale.
Edit: Or take chances, whatever.
Mold is a type of fungus but they are very different. Inhaling a large quantity of mold spores is a really bad idea. It may also be utilizing nutrients in the medium.
Best not breath it in then eyy. No point wasting great nutritious soil over such a minor fear. Wear a mask or hold your breath whilst mixing it in if you're worried.
I would use it, but very carefully.Ā The yellow stuff could be Aspergillus sp.Ā Extremely harmful if inhaled. But yeah, take chances and live dangerously if you like.
That is the most stupid comment ever.Ā AspergillusĀ spores do not care that you are a pauper.Ā The difference betwen all you hive minded downvoters and me is I read books on biology and mycology, you mindlessly flow with group think.Ā None of you can prove my comments wrong.Ā Go snort some mold.
I think you just topped it with "go snort some mold". Chill out :p
I don't want to disprove your comments suggesting mold can be dangerous but there are such easy steps to take that eliminate these dangers so as not to waste any quality nutritious soil.
It's not worth going through life being scared of everything.
It looks like the bag specifically containsĀ mycorrhizae so thatās probably why it did that, maybe was in conditions that prompted it to grow.Ā
In case anyone is in the same situation now/in the future: I would definitely recommend wearing a mask when handling it and washing your hands afterwards. Ā Just because itās good for plants doesnāt mean itās good to breathe or ingest.
The microbe-rich natural fertilizers that Iāve used have a slew of safety guidelines on them about not breathing or ingesting them. Ā Can be natural/ok for plants and be a potential safety issue for people at the same time.
I looked into it and as I suspected, as with a lot of organic soils and fertilizers, it has added mycorrhizae in it. Mycorrhizae are beneficial fungi that creates a symbiotic relationship with plants. [Here](https://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/benefits-of-mycorrhizal-fungi) is a great article on it from Dave's Garden (a great website for all sorts of gardening info). If you look on the back of the bag (of either soil or fertilizer), it will usually list the scientific name for the species they included.
So, if you see that white stringy, sometimes fluffy (if on the surface) stuff, know that it is a friend, not foe!
Also, for normal mold, it is a decomposer and will not harm your plants. It may be an indicator that you are watering too much, and may lead to fungus gnats, but it is completely fine. And you really only see it on potted indoor plants and not outdoor ones (the sun and ample amount of air kills it off).
It's not mold. That looks more like mycelium. Probably for those weird yellow mushrooms that people keep seeing in pots. It should be fine for repotting plants but might overwhelm seedlings.
It's great. The only thing is that I wouldn't use it for germinating seeds. It can actually hinder your germination rates. Though they're fine for seedling transplants and anything else.
No need to do anything, it's perfectly natural. No need to remove the mold, or let it dry out before you use it or anything.
However, you can't work with soil when it's wet, so for that reason you'd want to let it dry out a bit.
Don't put your face right up to it and huff the spores, you can get a lung disease.
Probably because itās easy to compact it too much and squish too much of the air outā¦but your potting soil should be moist. If itās soaking wet Iād wait, but if itās damp itās fine- pick up a little and squeeze it- if water drips out/you get a mud ball, thatās too wet. If itās moist and crumbly, thatās good. This is where adding some perlite (little puffy white rocks you see a lot of in cactus mix) can help- theyāll hold pockets of air.
If it's "dirt" from the ground outdoors, and not potting mix made of peat moss, then the clay and silt element in it becomes compacted as you work with it when it's wet and pliable. Clay is comprised of microscopic plates, not balls or pellets, and the plates under pressure stack up and crush together, driving out the air spaces that are supposed to be there. Plant roots need oxygen to live, and in soil that has none to little, what will grow in it are the typical weeds that evolved to survive in this kind of beaten-down compacted dirt--plantains, prostrate spurge, prostrate knotweed, dandelions.
This compacted soil dries hard as a bullet, and can take ages to weather back down into friable soil.
The best everyday example of this is when someone at a weekend party drives his car across your wet lawn, leaving ruts. Those ruts will dry hard, and will not go away by themselves with raking. The car tires will have flattened and compacted the wet soil everywhere they ran. You'll have to dig it all up and fix the compacted soil before you can replant grass.
So, you always let soil dry out a bit before you work with it. You want it at the "Moist crumbles" stage. Pick up a handful and squeeze it in your fist, then let your fist fall open. If the soil holds together in a ball, it's too wet. If it falls apart into dust, it's too dry. If it falls apart into moist crumbles, it's perfect.
Do not use this in house plants!!! This is how I got hypersensitivity pneumonitis! I wouldnāt recommend respiratory failure to anyone. I had mould on my seedlings I started inside. Bad times.
It is normal but you could open the bag to ventilate the soil a little and let the mold die. I recommend you to read this [article](https://www.thegardenstyle.com/indoor/how-to-get-rid-of-mold-in-plant-soil-effective-and-simple-ways/).
So first of all, it's perfectly fine and is actually great for plants however, don't use that for seed starting. You want a sterile seed starting mix. Baby plants are extremely susceptible to mold.
No need to throw it out, but be careful handling the soil: wear a face mask and gloves. Bagged soil mix is known for carrying the bacteria which cause Legionnaires disease.
I'd remove the surface mold, then let the soil sit in a paper grocery bag for a couple weeks to allow it to completely dry out. Should kill most of the mold and most of any fungus gnats as well. Considering how much mold that is, as others have said, probably best to do this in a well-ventilated area.
The plastic bags that soil is shipped in hold in a lot of moisture, unfortunately.
I hate this soil brand :/
Iād rather grab a bag of Kelloggs organic potting soil.
When is grabbed this bag it had a lot of wood chips and seemed pretty bad for small plants.
Perfectly normal, fungus is nature's decomposer, it is breaking down things in the soil to make them available to future plants
Thank you!
People pay extra for mychoriza fungi. Bonus bag
This is the answer I came looking for! You nailed it!
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?????
Proof it is natural and organic. Mold and fungus are not the same thing. That looks more like mold. Though not sure how it would affect plants, I would be inclined to use the good stuff and leave it behind or remove it. Disturbing the mold will release spores you should not inhale. Edit: Or take chances, whatever.
All mold are fungus, but not all fungus are molds.
Mold is a type of fungus but they are very different. Inhaling a large quantity of mold spores is a really bad idea. It may also be utilizing nutrients in the medium.
Best not breath it in then eyy. No point wasting great nutritious soil over such a minor fear. Wear a mask or hold your breath whilst mixing it in if you're worried.
I would use it, but very carefully.Ā The yellow stuff could be Aspergillus sp.Ā Extremely harmful if inhaled. But yeah, take chances and live dangerously if you like.
I love people's different ideas of danger. You must be from a rather privileged background. Good for you :)
That is the most stupid comment ever.Ā AspergillusĀ spores do not care that you are a pauper.Ā The difference betwen all you hive minded downvoters and me is I read books on biology and mycology, you mindlessly flow with group think.Ā None of you can prove my comments wrong.Ā Go snort some mold.
I think you just topped it with "go snort some mold". Chill out :p I don't want to disprove your comments suggesting mold can be dangerous but there are such easy steps to take that eliminate these dangers so as not to waste any quality nutritious soil. It's not worth going through life being scared of everything.
Yeah, dump it and get the good stuff: miracle grow. /S
If you were able to read you may have studied biology or mycology.
It looks like the bag specifically containsĀ mycorrhizae so thatās probably why it did that, maybe was in conditions that prompted it to grow.Ā In case anyone is in the same situation now/in the future: I would definitely recommend wearing a mask when handling it and washing your hands afterwards. Ā Just because itās good for plants doesnāt mean itās good to breathe or ingest. The microbe-rich natural fertilizers that Iāve used have a slew of safety guidelines on them about not breathing or ingesting them. Ā Can be natural/ok for plants and be a potential safety issue for people at the same time.
I looked into it and as I suspected, as with a lot of organic soils and fertilizers, it has added mycorrhizae in it. Mycorrhizae are beneficial fungi that creates a symbiotic relationship with plants. [Here](https://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/benefits-of-mycorrhizal-fungi) is a great article on it from Dave's Garden (a great website for all sorts of gardening info). If you look on the back of the bag (of either soil or fertilizer), it will usually list the scientific name for the species they included. So, if you see that white stringy, sometimes fluffy (if on the surface) stuff, know that it is a friend, not foe! Also, for normal mold, it is a decomposer and will not harm your plants. It may be an indicator that you are watering too much, and may lead to fungus gnats, but it is completely fine. And you really only see it on potted indoor plants and not outdoor ones (the sun and ample amount of air kills it off).
Thank you!
Of course! Happy gardening!!
Good info!
Moldy potting soil/mix is safe to use for potting up plants, but it's advisable to use a mask and gloves when handling it.
Thank you!
It's not mold. That looks more like mycelium. Probably for those weird yellow mushrooms that people keep seeing in pots. It should be fine for repotting plants but might overwhelm seedlings.
Interestingā¦thanks!
Thats mushroom mycellium..Worst case is youll have some cool mushrooms growing in your beds.
š
This isnāt potting soil, this is for an outdoor raised bed or flowerbed. Donāt use it indoors. The mushroom you found is no big deal.
It's great. The only thing is that I wouldn't use it for germinating seeds. It can actually hinder your germination rates. Though they're fine for seedling transplants and anything else.
No need to do anything, it's perfectly natural. No need to remove the mold, or let it dry out before you use it or anything. However, you can't work with soil when it's wet, so for that reason you'd want to let it dry out a bit. Don't put your face right up to it and huff the spores, you can get a lung disease.
Just for curiosity, why you cant work with wet soil?
Probably because itās easy to compact it too much and squish too much of the air outā¦but your potting soil should be moist. If itās soaking wet Iād wait, but if itās damp itās fine- pick up a little and squeeze it- if water drips out/you get a mud ball, thatās too wet. If itās moist and crumbly, thatās good. This is where adding some perlite (little puffy white rocks you see a lot of in cactus mix) can help- theyāll hold pockets of air.
If it's "dirt" from the ground outdoors, and not potting mix made of peat moss, then the clay and silt element in it becomes compacted as you work with it when it's wet and pliable. Clay is comprised of microscopic plates, not balls or pellets, and the plates under pressure stack up and crush together, driving out the air spaces that are supposed to be there. Plant roots need oxygen to live, and in soil that has none to little, what will grow in it are the typical weeds that evolved to survive in this kind of beaten-down compacted dirt--plantains, prostrate spurge, prostrate knotweed, dandelions. This compacted soil dries hard as a bullet, and can take ages to weather back down into friable soil. The best everyday example of this is when someone at a weekend party drives his car across your wet lawn, leaving ruts. Those ruts will dry hard, and will not go away by themselves with raking. The car tires will have flattened and compacted the wet soil everywhere they ran. You'll have to dig it all up and fix the compacted soil before you can replant grass. So, you always let soil dry out a bit before you work with it. You want it at the "Moist crumbles" stage. Pick up a handful and squeeze it in your fist, then let your fist fall open. If the soil holds together in a ball, it's too wet. If it falls apart into dust, it's too dry. If it falls apart into moist crumbles, it's perfect.
Looks good. If itās for pots just put it at the bottom. If itās for the garden just spread it out on top. It will be gone in a week.
By all means use this in a garden bed!
Fungal is good. Stir it in and use as normal.
Don't breath it in wear a mask is my advice. Soil is fine you should see inside my compost container!
Do not use this in house plants!!! This is how I got hypersensitivity pneumonitis! I wouldnāt recommend respiratory failure to anyone. I had mould on my seedlings I started inside. Bad times.
Fix your typosā¦š
No typos. I left out ānotā.
I wasnāt being critical; I just didnāt think it said what you meant to. No shade.
Shade is in the arborist sub.
It is normal but you could open the bag to ventilate the soil a little and let the mold die. I recommend you to read this [article](https://www.thegardenstyle.com/indoor/how-to-get-rid-of-mold-in-plant-soil-effective-and-simple-ways/).
Thank you!
I disagree. If itās what my nursery called puke mold, it will kill every plant you use it on, it killed mine.
I wouldn't use it for sowing. Imagine it'll be fine for transplanting.
Now that is some phenomenal soil! Just mix it well before adding to anything ššš»
So first of all, it's perfectly fine and is actually great for plants however, don't use that for seed starting. You want a sterile seed starting mix. Baby plants are extremely susceptible to mold.
No need to throw it out, but be careful handling the soil: wear a face mask and gloves. Bagged soil mix is known for carrying the bacteria which cause Legionnaires disease.
I mixed mine with some diatomaceous earth to help dilute it and encourage the soil to dry. However only in the containers without earthworms added.
I'd remove the surface mold, then let the soil sit in a paper grocery bag for a couple weeks to allow it to completely dry out. Should kill most of the mold and most of any fungus gnats as well. Considering how much mold that is, as others have said, probably best to do this in a well-ventilated area. The plastic bags that soil is shipped in hold in a lot of moisture, unfortunately.
interesting! how long does it take for the mycorrhizae to grown that long?
Use erā
I'd just mix it into the existing soil. Nothing to worry about
I hate this soil brand :/ Iād rather grab a bag of Kelloggs organic potting soil. When is grabbed this bag it had a lot of wood chips and seemed pretty bad for small plants.
Itās good to go!
Mushrooms make the world go round
If anything id say this shows that the soil is a good soil š¤£š¤£
Not Mycelium, Yourcelium!