White powder on Mints?

Hi everyone,

I have a few questions about some of my herbs if anyone would mind helping please?

I have a peppermint that I've had since last Summer. It was fine and healthy and weathered the Winter without a problem. However, I noticed it was really rather cramped recently so a few days ago I took a knife to it, chopped it up a bit and re-potted it into two new pots. It seems to be recovering from its massacre thankfully. However, I did notice a thick white powdery substance within the soil. I brushed it off without really thinking but I'm now concerned it could be a disease or a pest? Can anyone shed any light on this please? Also, I can't definitely remember, but I think this powdery stuff may also have affected a few others of my herbs such as my Rosemary. My Rosemary was looking rather poorly recently with brown spots all over the leaves. So I chopped it right back with the intention of it re-growing healthier but I don't know if the brown spots may have been a sign of something as well?

I'm aware that with words such as 'chopped' and 'massacre', you guys may gasp and shout 'egad!' in horror. In my defence, I did think my Mint could handle it (which I think it has...just).

I'm a bit worried because I'm having about 20 new Mints delivered to me soon and I don't want them all dying or getting 'poorly', as it were. I'm a bit of a Mint enthusiast as I felt I was least likely to kill them...

Thanks in advance and sorry for the essay!

P.s. pics below aren't so great because the powder is mostly underneath the top layer, and around the edges so you can only see it if you remove the Mint from the pot but it might give you guys an idea...

 

Mint disappears in my garden over winter and is just putting up new shoots now.

Not sure about the white powder, what is the plant growing in, ie soil type?

It could just be a soil fungus, some of which are actually good.

 

Hi Pete, I'm not sure on soil exactly as it was just put in normal garden compost (from a supermarket) last year.

 

Mine has this problem. It does not die. I think it is some pests

 

The white flecking on the leaves, or are we talking about white powder in the soil?

The leaves look to me like insect attack, possibly aphids, have a close look underneath.
It could just be normal and it will grow out as the plants get going stronger when it warms up.