indoor house plant mold cure question

[jgonzal]

I have heard that sprinkling baking soda or corn meal on the soil of potted plants will prevent mold from growing or forming; is this true?

[globalist1789]

It sound like rubbish to me (sorry to whom ever you heard this from. Baking soda would change the PH of the soil and would very likely harm the plant... BADLY. As for corn meal, why wouldn’t the corn meal itself mold?

If you have a really bad mold problem then over watering is a more real concern. A bit of white film on the top of a potting soil is fine, and too much water will kill a plant a lot faster than a bit of mold.

Sorry,
Michael

[Newt]

Hi Jgonzal,

I agree with Michael.

Newt

[chirita]

A solution of baking soda and water, sprayed on the leaves ,is an old remedy for powdery mildew, especially on Begonias. Perhaps that is the connection you heard between mold and baking soda but I have never heard of baking soda being applied to the soil. I agree that if you're getting mold on the soil you probably need to cut back on your watering.

[jewels_9598]

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/bakingsoda.html