White stuff in pot plant!

Hello again.

At home we have rather a large (5ft) pot plant bought from B&Q almost exactly a year ago.

I'm afraid I dont know what type it is. It's kind of palm-like with long green leaves that have whitish stripes along their length.

My question is, is that in the last few weeks the soil in the pot has suddenly developed a white coating. Is this fungal, or normal, or .......I simply don't know!

To look at, it kind of appears like sugar frosting!

Any pointers as to cause and remedy?

Many thanks.

Jack.

 

If you have a magnifying glass, look at the white stuff. You may find tiny little insects in it. Greenfly (aphids) do not only attack leaves, there are a few which actually live in the soil. They protect themselves with a wax like covering. This appears to the naked eye like white powder in the soil. Drench the soil with a systemic insecticide (and spray it on the inside of the pot too!).
Or it could be the mycellium of any number of fungus. In that case drench the soil with a good fungicide.

 

It sounds to me like the last one Palustris, I usually just stir up the surface and let it dry out a bit.

 

try removing the plant from the pot, knock off offending compost, wash pot out thoroughly with a dilute mix of jeyes fluid in warm water, repot using a good quality compost.

 

Fantastic tips, folks.

Will report back with update.

Many thanks.

Jack.

 

If it is a fungus it probably would smell. The plant sounds like a variety of Dracaena deremensis.

 

could it be limescale from the hard water you get in London??

 

rossco, I have used Jeys for years and it is good to see younger people using it. I had a simmilar problem last year mouldy compost and I knocked my plants out and repotted them and watered with a mild Jeys mix.

 

hans
thanks for puting me in the 'younger person' catagory, been in horticulture 35 years this year, and married just as long, but you are always learning new thing in this game.
Used Jeyes for more years than I care to remember, and, yes it is good stuff.