Mold on Soil

[Kira Villa]

Hi,

There has been some mold on top of the soil under my tomato plants.  My tomatoes have also been suffering from blossom end rot.  Don't know if they're related (although it seems likely).  I've scraped the mold off but is there anything else I should/could do for this??

Thanks, Kira

[crowjoy]

I was thinking about this and looked up some info... the blossom end rot is apparently caused by a lack of calcium in the soil. I've had a bit myself this year, even though I plant each tomato with a handful of crunched egg shells. So the mold isn't related to that. Can you describe the mold more? What color is it? How deep does it go? What's the formation like, dry and dusty or clumpy and fuzzy?

If I saw a mold like substance under my plants I wouldn't be *overly* concerned but would want to make sure the soil isn't staying too wet and that the mold wasn't affecting the plants themselves (like a powdery mildew would.) I'd probably scrape it off and throw it away and then try and keep things as balanced as possible with maybe some shredded leaves or other fine mulch the little soil organisms can keep busy with, hopefully preventing the imbalance that allowed the mold growth. Maybe the extension office can ID what you scraped off?

[Carlyn Buckler]

One thing to keep in mind is that not all soil mold is bad. Some are very beneficial as they breakdown various compounds in the soil, or help the roots of plants uptake nutrients. I understand that any fungus around your tomatoes may cause alarm (I've been watching, too). As there area a b'zillion different kinds of mold/fungus found in and around our soil, and if you're really concerned, your best bet might be to take a sample to Cornell Cooperative Exchange (call first) and they may be able to ID it for you.

[Kira Villa]

Thanks for both of your feedback. I think we found out what the mold came from. We had put down an organic slug repellent. We emailed the company and apparently the pellets have a "wheat flour carrier" in them, which has been known to cause mold to grow in damp conditions. They said it is harmless and short-lived. So I think things will be fine. Thanks again.

[Katie Quinn-Jacobs]

Kira, how did it go with the slug repellent? Was it effective? What did you use?

[Kira Villa]

Sorry it took me so long to reply....oh this week! So my husband got I think Earth-tone slug and bug control. Slugs were going after my herbs pretty heavily earlier in the season. I think it helped. All my herbs survived. Also all my bell peppers are still with me, which I find promising. Last year, slugs turned them all into sludge.