I recently re-potted all my houseplants into new pots. The pots are terra cotta, tulip shaped and kind of on the thin side. Now I get mold on the outside of the pots. Especially heavy on the ones that i have in the bathrooms. But also on the ones in the diningroom. It has been very humid here, but I hate the idea of breathing mold. The plants are not over watered. I tried to cut back but my Fittonias did not like it at all. Please look at picture and tell me what I can do. Thanks, Liz
Hey Liz. Clay pots are porous, and you mentioned the humidity. There's one thing that I can suggest. Take your clay pots and PAINT them on the outside. They will not have the pore problem anymore, but you have to remember to slow down on the watering. Problem solved.
Hi Dandy, Thanks for the tip. What kind of paint would be good for this. I am clueless. Would it be better to get glazed pots? Maybe easier to clean? Thank you, Liz
I've heard this from someone who used to paint her clay pots. I'm not all that UP on my paints, but I bet if you went into a hardware store... they'd know right off the bat!
That happens all the time to calay pots. It is neither a problem or a risk of any kind. Purely for looks, I just take clean water and a old tooth brush to the outside of the pots every once and a while.
Thanks global, will do. I bought some glazed pots today. I hope the mold does not go on top of the soil. Liz
Are you sure that that's even mold?? My terracotta pots all get that way when I water them using tap water but not when they get rainwater. Sometimes the soil even gets a white crust around the edges. In my experience that white residue is simply the minerals from the water (lime etc) that get deposited on the pot when the pure water molecules (H2O) evaporate or get absorbed. It's nothing to worry about. Honest. And if you don't like the way it looks, just scrub it off... just be prepared for it to start building up again when you next water your plants. And yes, using glazed or plastic pots would stop the minerals from leeching out but it won't stop them from building up on or in the soil over time (if your water is prone to doing that)... But all that only applies if you don't have a good reason to suspect mold - i.e. if it isn't furry or releasing spores :) Good luck either way.
Hi Fern, I thought it was mold because I only use filtered water or sometimes Ozarka water that was left over. But like you said, it could be minerals. I scrubbed them off and got some ceramic pots. Will see how they do. Thanks for the reply. Liz
Ya, if the filtered water originally came from your tap then it probably still has lots of minerals in it (unless your filter removes them too - doubtful). My guess is that it's just minerals and you've got nothing to worry about. Good luck with the new pots!
