Question
I have a basil plant in a pot that I planted with potting soil. I keep it outside unless it gets cold at night (I live in Florida). It has rained a lot lately and the plant is wilting a little bit and I noticed cottony mold on the top of the soil. How do I get rid of it so the plant doesn't die? I would keep it indoors but my cats it eat (I don't know if basil is safe for cats or not) so it goes in the garage at night on the cold nights. I don't have anywhere for it to get sunlight other than outside. Thanks!

Answer
Hi Debbie,

Of more concern to me than the "mold" on the surface of the soil, is the wilting plant that has been receiving a lot of water.  That is usually a symptom of some vascular or root disorder.  Examine the white "cotton-like" mold carefully to see if there are anything resembling small insects.  If it is insects, you may want to treat with an insecticidal soap after removing the surface of the potting soil.  

If the problem is fungal in nature, remove the surface of the soil. While doing this, raise the root ball out of the pot.  If there is a noticeable disagreeable odor, then there is a problem with root rot which is causing the wilting symptoms.  If there is no noticeable odor, place back into pot, and replace the surface soil with a similar soil or potting mix.  

After doing this, allow the root system to dry out a bit.  The root ball should not dry out completely.  Many fungal and bacterial pathogens require very moist conditions to cause disease.  After watering (or rain), do not allow the pot to sit in a saucer of water.  If the root ball dries out totally, a soaking is okay, but the roots should not sit in water for a prolonged time; this is only asking for a disease problem.

Good Luck and Good Gardening!

John