Can Flowers Mold?

The threats to the flowers in your garden are many, as any experienced gardener knows, there are plenty of problems that can come up during the year to damage the health of the plants you have worked so hard to cultivate. From difficult weather conditions to animals munching on the leaves and on and on, you have a lot to manage to keep your gardens healthy. 

If you are already dealing with mold on your flowers and you’d like some professional help, or if you need assistance with any other landscaping tasks on your Jackson, WY property, contact TLC right away. Or read below to find out can flowers mold?

Can Flowers Mold?

Perhaps surprisingly, you can add mold to the list of concerns you may have about your plants. While mold seems like something that is more likely to impact the basement under your home than the flowers in your garden, it can be a problem here, as well. We’ll explain below how mold can affect your flowers and how you can work to avoid this issue. 

Why Mold Grows on Flowers

The causes of mold growth on flowers are actually rather similar to the causes that could lead to mold problems in your home or any other type of building. As a starting point, you’ll want to look at two primary culprits – too much moisture and not enough light. 

On the moisture side, the availability of water is required for a fungus (or anything else) to grow. Without water, you won’t have mold. Of course, that’s an easier problem to solve in your basement than in your garden. In the basement, you just take care of any leaks, address humidity problems, and aim to keep the space as dry as possible. But your flowers need water to live, so it’s all about striking the right balance. Giving the plants in your garden an appropriate amount of water – not too little but not too much – is one of your most important landscaping tasks. 

In addition to requiring water, mold wants to grow in places that are lacking sunlight. Again, we come back to the basement as a prime example. There isn’t much, or any, sunlight in that space, and mold can thrive when moisture is available. In your garden, you might lack sunlight because you picked a shady spot on your property, or because you put too many plants in this part of the garden and some of them are getting blocked out by the others. 

Dealing with Mold Problems

Once you’ve spotted signs of mold growth in your garden, you’ll want to take some steps to prevent this issue from getting worse. Not surprisingly, the changes you need to make are going to address damp and darkness. 

1. First, stop providing your beds with so much water.
2. Work on improving drainage to avoid rainfall from building up and keeping the garden excessively damp for long periods. 
3. Do what you can to improve sunlight conditions, such as trimming back larger shrubs or trees that might be blocking the rest of the garden from getting the light it needs. Or move plants to a brighter, sunnier part of the garden.
4. Next remove any signs of the mold and the damage it has done from your garden. Cut flowers back to get rid of the damaged petals, leaves, and stems. 

If you improve the growing conditions in the garden, you shouldn’t need to apply any fungicide to address the issue – it will hopefully clear up on its own once the right moisture and light levels are present. 

Gray Mold in Wyoming

A damp and dark garden is a recipe for mold problems. Here in Wyoming, you might find that gray mold is the issue you face, so it’s helpful to know how to spot signs of trouble as it begins to develop. Watch for dark brown or black patches on the petals of your flowers, and potentially on the leaves, as well. If left alone, the issue is likely to spread to much of the rest of the plant, even working its way down the stems. 

Contact TLC Today

Mold is a frustrating problem to face with your flowers, but a resolution is usually close at hand. We hope the tips above are helpful in dealing with this matter, and you are always welcome to reach out to TLC to learn more and inquire about our many services. We look forward to working with you soon!