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Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Fiona4. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about mouldy soil.
You'll find mould/fungi will develop on continuously damp soil. I'm in Sydney, and I have it under my house also. In fact, I have mushrooms growing under there as well. The ground is completely saturated and has been since late last year. We've never had a big enough break in the weather for it to dry out again completely. In my case, I have several brick vents around the house, which traditionally should provide enough airflow to the area and prevent these types of issues. If you don't have adequate ventilation, you could consider installing subfloor ventilation. Anything from powered fans to brick vents would assist.
If it is just this one location, it's likely no cause for alarm. However, if it starts to flourish all over the soil and makes its way to your house's timberwork, you might want to call a professional to take a look.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
Thanks Mitchell,
There are several brick vents and can actually feel the air circulating well but I guess it has just been the continuous rain that's causing the issue!! Have considered spraying with some clove oil but worried it would help transfer spores:(
Fiona
If you mist the area with clove oil, it's unlikely to spread the spores @Fiona4. If you spray with a jet stream, it will, though. Regardless, the spores will become airborne when mature, so it's probably best to attempt inoculating them with the clove oil now.
Mitchell
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