I've had my tall 5 foot Schefflera forever. I went to turn it a different side to the window and noticed three "things" in the dirt. Are they mushrooms and what can I do?

Can't tell from our pix. Almost anything is possible in a house plant pot. Once a long time ago I had a party at my house. Weeks later there was some strange things growing out of one of my pots. Mold I figure. Some one didn't like the cake I had at the party and buried it in a house plant pot. LOL. Gene

gasrocks said:Can't tell from our pix. Almost anything is possible in a house plant pot. Once a long time ago I had a party at my house. Weeks later there was some strange things growing out of one of my pots. Mold I figure. Some one didn't like the cake I had at the party and buried it in a house plant pot. LOL. Gene

Eww.

Kkasregis said:I've had my tall 5 foot Schefflera forever. I went to turn it a different side to the window and noticed three "things" in the dirt. Are they mushrooms and what can I do?

It looks like mushrooms to me, which would indicate a fungus in the soil (well, mushrooms are fungi). What kind of potting mix is that, do you know? Sometimes the potting mix in the stores isn't "sanitized" and stuff "gets through."

I don't think they'll really hurt it, but the fact that their growing indicates the soil may be staying somewhat consistently moist to slightly wet. Let it dry some between waterings and that should help.

I agree, mushrooms/fungi and as Carter mentioned, they usually occur when the soil stays wet. We've had tons of rain here the past few days and mushrooms are sprouting all over our lawn as well as in a few of my outdoor container plants. They never seem to do any damage but if you don't like the looks, you can just yank them out and throw them in the trash.

I concur with what the others have written about damp soil. Mushroom presence also suggests soil that has been contaminated with fungus spores. Not a problem necessarily, but peat-based sterile potting mixes don't normally have this problem. Be on the alert for fungus gnats that are also introduced in non-sterile potting mixes and also thrive in damp soil. I suggest that you remove all loose soil, including the mushrooms and their fine root systems, from the surface of the pot. Allow the soil to dry deeper into the pot between waterings. Arboricolas are reasonably drought tolerant. Warm temps and good air circulation will help discourage fungi.