5 Ways to Prevent and Get Rid of Fungus From Plants

Mushroom gnats often appear on ornamental plants. These small flying pests are often mistaken for fruit flies because they are the same size.

Fungal gnats can be found in the soil at the base of the plant. Worse still, mold gnats can appear when you wipe the plant's leaves. 

Although harmless in the sense of not biting or spreading disease, the appearance of mold gnats on houseplants can be annoying and quite disgusting.

In addition, mold gnats tend to multiply rapidly and can eat thin roots and cause damage to ornamental plants.

“They are one of the most common houseplant pests ,” says Danae Horst, founder of Los Angeles-based plant shop Folia Collective and author of Houseplants for All . /2022).

Here are tips to prevent and eradicate fungus gnats from plants. 

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Make sure the pot has good drainage

If you have ornamental plants that are not growing well, poor drainage could be the cause. Wet soil and stagnant water at the bottom of the pot can cause a lot of problems for plants.

In addition, these conditions become the main breeding ground for fungal gnats.  So, the first step of fighting this nuisance pest is very simple.

“Choose a container with drainage holes when growing plants,” says Horst.

If you can't stand a beautiful sealed container or can't make your own drainage holes, try the cachepot method.

“Keep the plant in a plastic nursery pot that has plenty of drainage holes and place it in a decorative container.  When it's time to water, simply remove the plant from its plastic pot, water it, let the excess water drain, then return the plastic pot to a decorative outdoor container," explains Horst.

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Let the soil dry out between waterings

Even if the pot has good drainage, overwatering or excess water can also cause problems.

Excess moisture can attract mature mold gnats and create a comfortable place to lay their eggs. Therefore, be sure to allow the plant to dry out between waterings.

However, this doesn't mean you should use less water when watering plants. "For plant health, it's best to saturate the entire root ball with each watering," says Horst. 

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Get rid of puddles

This one tip is simple, but easy to forget. Mushroom gnats love standing water that builds up on plates under pots and the bottom of the cachepot. So, make sure to flush puddles frequently.

If you have a heavy pot that's too difficult to move, Horst has a clever trick: use a baster to suck up the excess water or vacuum it up with a towel . 

Changing the ground

If you've done all of the above and there are still mold gnats, it may be time to completely replace the soil.

“Sometimes plants come in a potting mix that is too dense and doesn't drain well,” adds Horst.

Even worse, you may have brought a new plant into the house with a potting mix that already has mold gnats growing in it.

Horst recommends repotting the plant using a soil that includes pieces of bark, coconut husk, and pumice or perlite which all help with drainage.

A thick potting mix will dry out faster than a denser mixture and make it less attractive to mold gnats. 

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Clean with a proactive approach

All of the above tips are effective in preventing mold gnats from taking root on existing plants in your home or developing problems at an early stage. However, if you have a full infestation, you need to be more proactive.

“Fungal gnats have a multistage life cycle, so once they invade a plant, you need to kill the adults and larvae to completely eradicate them,” Horst said.