Question
Our office has a fichus tree and a bromeliad in its lobby. The fichus began to get white and yellow patches on the soil that looked like mold. After a couple of weeks, mushrooms began to grow in the soil. The mushrooms were removed, now they are growing down in the outer pot, attached to the plastic lining. A bromeliad on a nearby coffee table has begun to develop yellow spots of mold ont he soil as well. Can you tell me what this is, is it harmful and how do we treat this?

Answer
Morgan,

Mushrooms come from fungus spores the same as many types of mold does. Scrape the patches of yellow and white  "mold" off the surface of the soil and off the outer pot then spray the surfaces with aeresol Lysol type spray. It is a fungicide and will kill the mold spores before they spread further. Also cut back on the amount of water you are giving the plants. Keeping the plants too moist promotes the growth of fungus infecdtions. Good luck.

Darlene