I have a Kalanchoe from my wife's grandmother's funeral I need to keep alive but I think there's a fungal problem. It's been growing well, and has kept it's flowers for the last month which is good. I hardly water it, since it's a succulent, but haven't got to repot it which I'd like to. The other big problem, and this was me not thinking, was it being covered in a decorative plastic wrap thing(in the first picture). This stopped air flow from the bottom and held in moisture.
The funfus or mold, whichever it is, is growing on the bottom at the drain holes, and on the top of th esurface as well. I've sprayed it once with some baking soda water mixture, and scraped off the stuff on the bottom, but what else should I do. Keep spraying, repot, what?
This pic came out all wrong.
[img]https://i48.tinypic.com/2qds5xv.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i45.tinypic.com/aze1e0.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i45.tinypic.com/28cm2d3.jpg[/img]
I wouldn't worry about it. My advice is to wipe it off and let the plant be. Do keep it out of that foil wrapper, though, and put it in a proper drainage saucer. It would also probably be a good idea to drench the soil well from the top, until water runs freely from the drainage holes. Even cacti and succulents like a good, thorough watering now and then. 
You can wipe the outside of the pot off with a rag moistened in a solution of 1 to 2 T of household chlorine bleach to 1 quart of water. That will kill any mold or mildew, and won't harm the plant at all. Don't pour it on the soil, though.
If the "mold" reappears and/or feels crusty, then it wasn't mold to begin with, but rather, deposits of salts that leached out of the soil. Even water contains dissolved minerals that can collect and form such deposits on plant pots. This is not uncommon with cacti and succulents, because people tend to give them just a little water at a time, but more frequently, rather than to really drench the soil, but water less often. Drenching the soil helps prevent the salts from collecting on the surface of the pot or the soil.
The deposits on the surface of the soil won't particularly harm the plant, either. If you like, you can use a small spoon to gently remove the top layer of soil ... I wouldn't go any deeper than about 1/2 inch or so, or even less ... and replace it with fresh cacti/succulent mix.
HTH!
You can wipe the outside of the pot off with a rag moistened in a solution of 1 to 2 T of household chlorine bleach to 1 quart of water. That will kill any mold or mildew, and won't harm the plant at all. Don't pour it on the soil, though.
If the "mold" reappears and/or feels crusty, then it wasn't mold to begin with, but rather, deposits of salts that leached out of the soil. Even water contains dissolved minerals that can collect and form such deposits on plant pots. This is not uncommon with cacti and succulents, because people tend to give them just a little water at a time, but more frequently, rather than to really drench the soil, but water less often. Drenching the soil helps prevent the salts from collecting on the surface of the pot or the soil.
The deposits on the surface of the soil won't particularly harm the plant, either. If you like, you can use a small spoon to gently remove the top layer of soil ... I wouldn't go any deeper than about 1/2 inch or so, or even less ... and replace it with fresh cacti/succulent mix.
HTH!
Sunset (and we all know how I feel about Sunset 
) says that Kalanchoes are "succulent perennials," that "zones vary by species," and that they can be grown indoors.
"Kalanchoes...are used principally as houseplants but can be grown outdoors year-round where winters are mild or warm." You may have K. blossfeldiana, which is known to "bloom in winter, early spring [and is] popular at Christmas."
Hope it works out for you!
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
) says that Kalanchoes are "succulent perennials," that "zones vary by species," and that they can be grown indoors."Kalanchoes...are used principally as houseplants but can be grown outdoors year-round where winters are mild or warm." You may have K. blossfeldiana, which is known to "bloom in winter, early spring [and is] popular at Christmas."
Hope it works out for you!
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
The reason I didn't think it was mineral deposits was because I've been using a tray to water it, letting the soil suck up it's own water. And I let it dry out mostly last time before I watered it. It's been so unusually cold and humid that the soil has stayed wet for the last two weeks now without drying(or watering) which is why I wanna repot it.
Oh yeah, and I noticed another one with the same looking stuff on the soil which was right next to this plant, but none of my other plats have it and they all came from the same place and have about the same winter watering needs.
Oh yeah, and I noticed another one with the same looking stuff on the soil which was right next to this plant, but none of my other plats have it and they all came from the same place and have about the same winter watering needs.