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We received a letter on our website from Irina Khromova from Nizhny Novgorod. She writes: “My hobby is growing indoor flowers. But here comes the attack. Usually in late autumn a white coating appears on the ground in a flower pot and often my favorite flowers die because of it. Please tell us how to save indoor plants if there is a white coating on the ground in the pot?”

Dear Irina. Most often, the white coating is salt protruding to the surface of the soil. There are many reasons for this phenomenon. For example, the soil is too heavy in mechanical composition or, conversely, too thin, sandy, and poor in organic matter that absorbs salts. The consequence of this is high soil capillarity. Moisture, as if through a filter, is drawn to the surface of the soil, evaporates from it and leaves streaks of salt. The same thing happens if you add it to a flower pot. large number sphagnum Well, if a white coating appears on the ground in a flower pot, then the plant develops poorly and may even die.

Another reason for the appearance of a white coating on the ground in a flower pot is when the soil mixture is over-fertilized. This usually affects purchased mixtures, especially those intended for vegetables or for plants grown in open ground.

Planting a plant in a flower pot that is too large can also lead to the formation of a white coating on the ground. The plant here is not able to absorb moisture and it, evaporating, draws salts to the surface of the earth.

Excessive feeding also leads to the formation of white plaque. You should not add nutrient solutions with a concentration greater than 1 g/l, and for ferns and orchids - 0.5 g/l.

White coating on the soil of indoor plants can also be caused by too hard water. It is softened by boiling, but it is better to then settle it and drain it from the sediment. The addition of oxalic acid will virtually eliminate total or carbonate hardness. Usually it is required to add no more than 22.5 mg of oxalic acid per 1 liter of water.

It should also be taken into account that if the air in the room is too dry, evaporation from the surface of the earth in the flower pot increases, which can lead to the appearance of a white coating. For example, in closed greenhouses and greenhouses there is never a salt crust on the ground.

And in a flower pot, a white coating on the ground may be ordinary mold. It can be identified by the fact that it is soft, does not smear and does not crunch when rubbed with your fingers. It is not dangerous for adult plants, but it indicates excessive watering.

How to save indoor plants if there is a white coating on the ground in a pot?

In addition to the above measures, you can improve ventilation in the room and regulate watering of plants. It is also necessary to remove the top layer of soil with a white coating and add a new soil mixture. To get rid of mold, you can sprinkle the soil in a flower pot with cinnamon powder. It has good antiseptic properties.

White plaque in a flower pot is one of the most common problems in indoor floriculture. Many begin to notice that the top layer of soil begins to turn white over time. It is difficult to determine the nature of such a phenomenon with the naked eye.

Why does the soil in pots become covered with a white coating?

Floriculture experts identify two main reasons: fungal (bacteriological) and salt (mineral).

Protrusion of salts

The salt reason is as follows:

1. Watering the soil with regular unfiltered tap water can cause a white coating to form in pots of indoor flowers. The fact is that such water is mostly excessively heavy, which accelerates the liming of the soil after repeated watering. The layer of lime makes it difficult to saturate the soil with oxygen.

   White plaque in flower pots: causes and methods of control

   To avoid this, you should leave the water at room temperature for at least 24 hours before watering. Or water the plants with a light solution citric acid: 1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water.

2. A white layer on the surface of the soil in a pot may be salt, which is formed due to too tight drainage or oversaturation of the soil with mineral fertilizers. During the plant's dormant period, the soil should be mixed with lighter soil and the amount of bottom drainage reduced. And also reduce the amount of fertilizing. If this problem appears during the active flowering phase, then you can remove only the top layer of soil and add a layer of new soil. Or additionally sprinkle the ground with expanded clay, which will absorb excess moisture and create a decorative appearance.
3. Insufficient watering of the plant. There should be enough water so that the plant does not dry out. Flowers should be watered according to the watering recommendations for each specific plant type.

Fungal infection

Another unpleasant reason why the soil in a pot becomes covered with a white coating can be a fungus. Mold is practically harmless to mature and healthy plants, but is destructive to seedlings and can affect the condition of a weakened flower.

Fungal infection occurs:

• due to waterlogging of the soil in the pot;
• at low temperature;
• in poorly ventilated areas.

Or fungal spores may already be in the soil in which the plant is planted. In this case, frequent watering promotes increased bacterial development. To avoid this, you should water the soil only when its top layer dries out. The room should be ventilated regularly. Special antifungal agents for soil work well against fungus.

To figure out why there is a white coating on the ground in a pot with your favorite flower, you do not need to have special knowledge in botany, it is enough not to overdo it in caring for it and follow the basic requirements.

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A white or white-yellow salt crust on the surface of the soil mixture in a pot appears due to the predominance of purely physical evaporation of water from the soil over transpiration by the plant.

There are several reasons.

The mechanical composition of the soil is too heavy. As a consequence, its high capillarity and intensive drawing of water to the soil surface.

Difficult drainage at the bottom of the pot and, as a result, evaporation from the soil surface as the main route of water consumption.

Mistakes when watering: poor watering, when the amount of water applied per watering is only sufficient to wet the surface layer.
Watering can be rare, but should be plentiful, flushing the entire soil mass.

Over-fertilized soil mixture. Many of their manufacturers are guilty of this, especially when preparing mixtures for vegetables. In general, this is a problem when you use store-bought formulations. For some reason, manufacturers for the most part are confident that a fertilized soil mixture from the heart is a virtue. It’s as if they don’t know that all transplants are only done in an unfertilized environment! The next careful fertilizing is only after obvious signs of rooting.

Violation of the principle of correspondence between the volume of soil in the pot and the assimilative capacity of the roots of a given plant. There should not be significant volumes of soil not developed by the root system.
Otherwise, again the predominance of physical evaporation over transpiration.

Errors in dosing fertilizers (overdose), as well as applying fertilizers during the plant's dormant period. For some reason, current manufacturers began to recommend solution concentrations of 2 g/l or more. This is not true. In general, a guaranteed non-toxic concentration can be recognized as 1 g/l, and for certain groups of plants (ferns, orchids) 0.5 g/l and even 0.1 g/l.

And of course, the notorious softness of irrigation water. Look at its quality everyone in your city. If the amount of water required for irrigation is insignificant, you can use filtration using some sophisticated filter with an ion exchanger: it will remove chlorine, calcium, magnesium, and, for example, add useful potassium. But this is not for bucket volumes - it’s expensive. Oxalic acid is a reliable softener, but litmus testing is required, because The initial content of Ca and Mg in water is generally unknown.

Dry air. Dry air strongly stimulates physical evaporation, which again leads to the removal of salts to the soil surface. Salts supplied with water from the soil remain in the leaves after it evaporates - this is the normal mechanism of mineral nutrition. But with increased evaporation, excess salts accumulate in the leaves, and over time their concentration rises to dangerous levels. In dry air, evaporation from the surface of the soil is also high, and salts also accumulate there. Soil salinity occurs (in the form of deposits on the soil surface), which provokes plant diseases. In the room where flowers grow, air humidity must be constantly monitored and regulated. This is why there is no salt crust with “bottle” culture, in various closed greenhouses and greenhouses. However, raising the air humidity in an apartment is an even more dreary task than cleaning irrigation water.

Of course, any of the above reasons can be combined!

And one more thing - a white coating on the surface of the soil in a pot can be caused by the development of fungal microflora from excessive watering and to get rid of it, you need to water the plant only after the top layer of soil in the pot has dried.

Sometimes mold lives in the purchased soil. Not necessarily from excessive watering; often purchased land is just like that. One even gets the impression that it is scattered from one container into different bags. Yes, from one package, in one case the soil may “bloom” with white mold, or “wait” for some time. Adult plants usually do not suffer much from this, but there is some danger.

Why does a white coating sometimes appear on the soil of indoor plants?

But young seedlings may die. Mold, even with normal watering, in especially sad cases, grows and permeates the entire soil in the pot. Then you need to replant, completely change the entire soil, use fungicides - in general, a long song. But a white-brown coating sometimes appears due to waterlogging of the soil. It has also been noted that the deposit on the surface depends on the composition of the soil; the more peat in the ground, the stronger the deposit on the surface (see point 1).

There are many ways to get rid of it. There is less white and other deposits if you cover the top of the soil in a pot with expanded clay. Then a white dried sediment appears on the expanded clay itself, collect it from time to time and wash it, then put it back in place.

It is recommended to sprinkle the ground with river sand and loosen the top layer of soil (along with the sand). Loosening the soil with the addition of sand is very beneficial for plant roots. You can remove the top layer and add high-quality leaf or humus soil.

You can simply remove all the white layer of soil and add new soil.

Stores sell soil deoxidizer. The top layer of soil with plaque is removed and a little deeper and a deoxidizing agent is poured. It is good to water flowers with aquarium water.

If it is still mold, drying the soil temporarily stops the process, but the next time you water it it starts with a vengeance. Collect it and sprinkle the soil in the pot with activated crushed carbon, this protects against rotting and mold growth. In addition to coal, periodically loosen the top layer and add other healthy soil. Well, in the future, it is better to transplant the plant into a normal substrate, wash the pot with a stiff brush and laundry soap. Serious measures include watering the soil with foundationazole, hom or oxychome.

Infection of a plant with a fungus starts a slow process of death. The symptoms are the following: yellowing and falling leaves, stopping the development of buds that do not bloom. If measures are not taken, houseplants infected with powdery mildew will die, and in their place only bare branches covered with a whitish coating will remain.

How to deal with white plaque

Disease prevention

Before you begin to actively fight mold on indoor plants, you need to find out the reason for its formation and solve this problem. Otherwise, all actions will be in vain - the mold will return again and again. Another reason for this strategy: knowing the source of the problem, it will be easier to avoid the return of the fungus in the future.

The first thing you should pay attention to is the humidity level in the room. Musty, humid air is ideal conditions for the development of mold spores. Start by ensuring your indoor plants are well ventilated.

One more probable cause— fertilizing plants with nitrogenous fertilizers. Change the diet of your plants: try feeding the soil with potassium and phosphorus fertilizers.

Traditional methods of treating white plaque

Prevention is very important, but if the enemy has already taken you by surprise, radical methods of struggle are needed. Continue to maintain a healthy indoor environment by ventilating and watering the plants regularly, making sure the plants receive enough sunlight, and looking for any fungus-affected leaves and trimming them.

Treatment for powdery mildew itself should be started as soon as possible, because fungal spores spread very quickly.

Having no experience in such work, people often turn to folk methods that fill forums on the Internet.

For example, some advise using slurry to spray plants.

Someone claims that an effective method is to spray with a solution of potassium permanganate or a solution of soda and soap.

Garlic tincture is also recognized as an effective weapon against fungus on plants.

Why is there a white coating in a flower pot and what to do about it

You can try all these methods and see from your own experience the effectiveness of one or another. But experience shows: traditional methods are ineffective, and the effect that can be achieved, unfortunately, turns out to be short-lived.

Not knowing how to deal with white plaque professionally, many naively rely on the effectiveness of folk methods. Of course, if you type “powdery mildew treatment” into a search engine, you will find many original home methods for eliminating the disease. Some people advise diluting slurry and spraying flowers with it, others suggest a more complex recipe: spray the plants at intervals of 5-7 days, first with a solution of potassium permanganate, then with a solution of soda ash and soap, and finish with garlic tincture. As practice shows, the percentage of effectiveness of homemade recipes is low; as a rule, owners of “home gardens” who are carried away by the struggle lose valuable time, which leads to the death of plants.

Treatment of powdery mildew

You can try to cure the plants yourself. This will require antibiotics. For spraying, take streptomycin (250 units/ml), penicillin (100 units/ml) and terramycin (100 units/ml). This mixture is diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio and used for spraying on affected plants.

The effect of antibiotics can be very good. However, not one hundred percent.

Professional solution to powdery mildew problem

The specialists of the ECO-STOLITSA sanitary service have all the necessary resources to solve the problem of mold on house plants. To order professional disinfection, just call the phone number or request a free call back. The visit of a specialist to Moscow and the Moscow region is possible already on the day of your application.

What is the most important thing when growing indoor plants? Of course, good soil, because it is what gives our flowers nutrients, thanks to which they actively grow and delight with their flowering. Poor quality soil not only inhibits growth, but can also cause the death of indoor crops, so all flower growers carefully select a suitable substrate for their pets. However, it often happens that a good, nutritious soil mixture is covered with a white blanket.

There may be several reasons why the soil in flower pots becomes covered with a white coating, namely:

• Poor quality water is used for irrigation;
• A fungal infection has settled in the flowerpot.

Water problems

Regardless of the type of indoor plants for all flowers there is general rule: for irrigation, you should use only settled water, or even better, rainwater. Tap water passes through purification systems and is “enriched” with some elements that flowers do not like, for example, chlorine. In addition, it is too hard, so after watering, lime deposits appear on the surface of the ground. Externally, such soil looks like dry white granules; if you carefully remove them, you can see ordinary black soil underneath. This is usually what they do, removing the top layer and pouring fresh soil mixture into the pot.

To prevent the appearance of sediment, water the flowers only with settled water. You can soften it using a homemade filter, putting a little in a rag bag and lowering it into a container of water. Flower shops also sell special softening products.

To neutralize lime compounds, it is recommended to add lemon juice or kitchen acid (citric acid) to the water.

Fungus in the soil

If the white coating in the pot is moist and resembles fluff, and an unpleasant putrid odor emanates from the soil, it means that a fungus has settled there. We often create a suitable microclimate for the occurrence and progression of mold and rot ourselves by intensively flooding the plant. And as you know, constantly moist soil is an ideal environment for many diseases.

In this case, it is better to take the most radical measures and completely replace it with a fresh one. Treatment with fungicides to destroy and prevent fungal infections will also not hurt. From now on, when watering, you should follow the golden mean and be sure to monitor the moisture content of the substrate.

Probably many have encountered such a problem as a white coating in a flower pot. It usually appears in late autumn and often causes the death of beloved flowers.

What kind of raid is this? What is the reason for the appearance? How to get rid of it? We'll look at it in this article!

White plaque on the ground in a flower pot can be of two types: saline(mineral) and fungal .

Reasons for the formation of salt (mineral) plaque:

The mechanical composition of the soil is too heavy. As a consequence, its high capillarity and intensive drawing of water to the surface of the soil, where a salt crust is formed;

Difficult drainage at the bottom of the pot and, as a result, evaporation from the soil surface as the main route of water consumption;

In case of insufficient watering, when the amount of water applied at a time is only sufficient to wet the surface layer. Watering can be rare, but should be plentiful, flushing the entire soil mass;

Overdose of fertilizers;

Hard water can also cause a white coating on the soil of indoor plants.

How to get rid of salt deposits.

You can get rid of salt deposits by removing the top thin layer of soil with plaque and adding a layer of new substrate. If you add expanded clay to the pot, it will not only be a decorative solution, but will also absorb excess moisture.

Hard water can be softened by boiling, but it is better to then settle it and drain it from the sediment. The addition of oxalic acid will virtually eliminate total or carbonate hardness. Usually it is required to add no more than 22.5 mg of oxalic acid per 1 liter of water.

Reasons for the formation of fungal plaque.

A white coating on the surface of the soil in a flower pot can be caused by the development of fungal microflora. This coating appears on heavy, waterlogged soils at low temperatures, high air humidity, or when the substrate does not meet the species requirements of the plant. Sometimes the cause may be mold in purchased ready-made soil. Adult plants practically do not suffer from mold, but seedlings may die.

How to get rid of fungal plaque.

The best way to combat fungal plaque is to transplant the plant into another substrate suitable for this type. It helps a lot if the top layer of soil is covered with ash, crushed coal and dried. Then collect it and replace it with fresh soil. If desired, you can apply fungicides. To prevent plaque from appearing again, you need to water the plant only after the top layer of soil in the pot has dried.

Today we looked at the topic of white plaque in flower pots, and you learned that there are two types of plaque - salt and fungal. You found out what is the reason for the appearance of plaque and how best to get rid of it.

Did you find this article useful? Please leave your comments below.

White plaque in a pot is one of the most common problems in indoor floriculture. Many begin to notice that the top layer of soil begins to turn white over time. It is difficult to determine the nature of such a phenomenon with the naked eye.

Why does the soil in pots become covered with a white coating?

Floriculture experts identify two main reasons: fungal (bacteriological) and salt (mineral).

Protrusion of salts

The salt reason is as follows:

1. Watering the soil with regular unfiltered tap water can cause a white coating to form in pots of indoor flowers. The fact is that such water is mostly excessively heavy, which accelerates the liming of the soil after repeated watering. The layer of lime makes it difficult to saturate the soil with oxygen. To avoid this, you should leave the water at room temperature for at least 24 hours before watering. Or water the plants with a light solution of citric acid: 1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water.
2. A white layer on the surface of the soil in a pot may be salt, which is formed due to too tight drainage or oversaturation of the soil with mineral fertilizers. During the plant's dormant period, the soil should be mixed with lighter soil and the amount of bottom drainage reduced. And also reduce the amount of fertilizing. If this problem appears during the active flowering phase, then you can remove only the top layer of soil and add a layer of new soil. Or additionally sprinkle the ground with expanded clay, which will absorb excess moisture and create a decorative appearance.
3. Insufficient watering of the plant. There should be enough water so that the plant does not dry out. Flowers should be watered according to the watering recommendations for each specific plant type.

Fungal infection

Another unpleasant reason why the soil in a pot becomes covered with a white coating can be a fungus. Mold is practically harmless to mature and healthy plants, but is destructive to seedlings and can affect the condition of a weakened flower.