Hi, I have a 20yr old grape ivy houseplant and it has grey fuzzy mould growing over the top of the soil and around the base of the trunk. There is no mould growing anywhere else on the plant - it looks healthy - for the moment anyway! I think I know where I have gone wrong in that I have been watering my plants last thing at night. I know not to do that any more. I removed plant from pot at weekend and scrubbed pot in water and removed mouldy soil and replaced with houseplant compost. I gave plant a small drink of water. I also sprayed around trunk and onto soil with fungicide containing sulphur. I have just checked plant and the mould is coming back with a vengeance. I would be gutted to lose this plant after growing it from a tiny cutting. What do you advise?

Answer:

It sounds as if you have done everything you should to avoid mould however, once it is present it is difficult to get rid of it. The initial cause is overwatering as a damp soil is an ideal habitat for moulds of all types. I would stop watering the plant until it is totally dry, then do what you did last time but try to remove as much of the old soil as possible cleaning away any soil left on the stem before spraying with the fungicide. Perhaps try a bigger pot than it's in at the moment to give it a bit more space. Are the lower leaves close to the soil level? If so remove some of the lower leaves to let air circulate around the lower stem. Also, place the plant pot in a deep saucer and fill the saucer with water, allowing the plant to bring the water up through its roots instead of down from the surface. Don't let it sit in the water for too long, once the compost looks damp, empty the saucer and let it dry out again. If you keep an eye on the stem and don't allow the mould to get too thick, it should be OK. What you are trying to avoid is the mould rotting the bottom of the stem so keep the area as dry as possible.

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• Grape Ivy Houseplant - Question:Hi, I have a 20yr old grape ivy houseplant and it has grey fuzzy mould growing over the top of the soil and around the base of the trunk. There is no mould growing anywhere else on the plant – it looks healthy – for the moment anyway! I think I know where I have ...
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I have a umbrella plant has type of browny /ograngey bug could you tell me how to get rid of these

Answer:

This sounds like scale insects. You can spray with the following: Provado Ultimate Bug Killer Provado Ultimate Bug Killer Ready to Use Scotts Bug Clear Ultra Westland Bug Attack Scales on houseplants breed throughout the year so all stages in the life cycle may be present at the same time so you will catch the newly hatched nymphs. The older scaly insects will not be affected by the spray but they will die with old age but killing the nymphs means that they will eventually die out. Scale insects can remain attached to the plant long after they are dead but new growth should be free of scales once they have been brought under control. If you want to you can scratch off the scales with your thumb nail. If you prefer organic controls you can use fatty acids such as Bayer Organic Pest Control, Doff Greenfly and Blackfly Killer or Greenfingers Organic Pest Spray, or plant oils and extracts such as Growing Success Fruit & Veg Bug Killer, Scotts Bug Clear for Fruit & Veg and Vitax Organic 2 in 1 Pest & Disease Control. These pesticides may need several applications during the scale's egg-hatching period. Most of these solutions should be available at your local garden centre or DIY store.

• Grape Ivy Houseplant - Question:Hi, I have a 20yr old grape ivy houseplant and it has grey fuzzy mould growing over the top of the soil and around the base of the trunk. There is no mould growing anywhere else on the plant – it looks healthy – for the moment anyway! I think I know where I have ...