mold in quick drying moss?

[Dimples]

I’d assume it’s algae too, but even if it’s a fungi/mold, most don’t actively attack living tissue (too much of a hassle). I get the occasional spot of something growing in my pots and so long as the plant is healthy it eventually goes away without any intervention. The fungi pop up when conditions are right, eat & grow, then conditions change (including running out of food/material) and they die off or go dormant. If you grow plants you will see this from time to time and 9 times out of 10 it’s nothing to worry about. Watch it and check back if things change.

[OrchidNut555]

Originally Posted by Dimples

I’d assume it’s algae too, but even if it’s a fungi/mold, most don’t actively attack living tissue (too much of a hassle). I get the occasional spot of something growing in my pots and so long as the plant is healthy it eventually goes away without any intervention. The fungi pop up when conditions are right, eat & grow, then conditions change (including running out of food/material) and they die off or go dormant. If you grow plants you will see this from time to time and 9 times out of 10 it’s nothing to worry about. Watch it and check back if things change.

this is quite relieving to hear...just to be prepared as i don't want to end up failing at orchids *again*, what should my courde of action be? it just got repotted into this media, just for context.

[Dimples]

Originally Posted by OrchidNut555

this is quite relieving to hear...just to be prepared as i don't want to end up failing at orchids *again*, what should my courde of action be? it just got repotted into this media, just for context.

Hopefully you won’t need to take action. If the spots get bigger but stay small-ish and the plants are still happy and healthy, no action needed.

If you start seeing signs that the plants are declining or failing to grow when all conditions suggest they should (good light, temperatures, occasional fertilizer, etc.), maybe unpot one and check the roots to see what’s going on underneath.

Soap probably won’t do much for mold/algae but alcohol sprayed on the surface does help cut down on the visible growth. It’s not going to get the stuff deeper in the pot, but if surface fuzzies bother you, that’s the rout I’d pick.