Why the "mold" is usually not mold - but is actually a sign of quality.
We regularly receive worried messages and photos from customers: "Help, my AIRY is full of mold!". They then describe white fluff on the plant soil or mineral substrate. So far we have always been able to give the all-clear.
It is not a mold, but a mycorrhizal fungus.
This stays in the root area of the plants. If the plant is doing really well, the healthy fungus develops and then appears on the surface. You could say: the mycorrhiza is blooming 🌸.
Mycorrhizal fungi are life-promoting and desired . They live symbiotically with the plant. They are completely non-toxic to humans, comparable to the noble mold on soft cheese.
Mycorrhizal fungi are an essential part of good soil: they provide the plant with salts such as phosphate and nitrate.
Mycorrhizal fungi are even sold as spores to improve soil. However, with AIRYs this is usually not necessary because the plant feels perfectly at home in them.
CONCLUSION: Enjoy the white fluff, your plant is doing great! 💪🥳
But plants also experience stress, e.g. from moving, draughts, too much or too little light and even from other plants - gardeners in particular know this when plants that do not "like" each other are placed next to each other.
