Question: Fall is coming, and I need to move my houseplants back indoors. I noticed that some have a fungal type of growth on the soil surface. Is this condition harmful? Answer: There are several types of fungi and algae that can grow on the soil surface in potted plants. I even found some rare liverworts growing on some nursery plants one time. In general, these primitive plants don’t harm the plants they are growing with, but they can cause irrigation water to run off down the sides without soaking in; if the growth is too thick, then it can force the water to run out over the top of the pot. It’s easy to scrape off the growth and throw it in the compost pile. Then, if necessary, add a little more potting soil to the pot. These ground-covering plants usually grow best if there is lots of moisture …