A great question came in this week to Ask Gardenerd:
“My garden soil has this yucky whitish hue to it. I am assuming it is a type of mold (I do think I have been overwatering). When I took it out of the bags (10 bags)a few months ago, it did have a few “moldy”looking spots (I took back some of the bags but they told me it was”normal”). Is there any way I can salvage this soil?”
I understand your concern, but the folks at the nursery are correct. The mold in your soil is totally normal. Most good quality soil amendments have beneficial micro-organisms present that help your soils “social life” so to speak. Here is what Kellogg has to say about it (they make my favorite soil amendments).
“The mold you see, although it may look alarming, is harmless and an indication that the material is rich in plant nutrients. The white fuzzy “mold” is actually from a mycelium fungus which is a naturally occurring beneficial soil fungus that grows in rich organic matter.
Simply place all the soil from the bag in a wheelbarrow or in pile on the ground and stir it up with a rake or shovel. The white fuzzy stuff will mostly vanish from sight. It will not harm your plants- it will actually help feed them. This type of fungus helps break down the good stuff like worm castings, kelp meal, bat guano and chicken manure making these available to plant roots.
These pores of the fungi are present in the compost all the time. This is normal and good. Certain combinations of temperature, moisture, air and organic material can make the fungi grow unusually fast which is apparently what happened to the bag at your house. Not to worry. Simply work the compost into your garden soil as instructed on the package and the plants in your garden will love it.“
If you are seeing mold or mushrooms in your garden where this soil is located, you may be overwatering. You can cut back on watering and that should help eliminate the visual signs of mold and mushrooms. You can also keep loosening the surface layer of soil around your plants to help air flow properly. But don’t worry, it’s totally okay to have this friendly fungus co-habitating with your plants.
Thanks for writing in!
I wasn’t aware that molds are harmless i always thought they were harmful.
I figured that mold would be a good sign of fertile soil. Granted I wouldn’t want to grow fruits or vegetables near it, but I’m glad to know it’s good for your garden. Thanks for sharing this helpful tip!