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Calathea makoyna -white moss growing

Jdaisy14Jdaisy14 Posts: 25
in Problem solving
hi 

I recently have bought a Calathea makoyna and some form of white fluff is growing on the soil and plant stem (see pic). 

I can only assume this is mould of some kind. I haven’t watered the plant since I bought it 2 weeks ago and the soil is damp still. The plant itself seems to be quite happy at the moment 

pPlease could someone tell me what this is,? How can I get rid of it? Will it affect my Calathea?

Posts

  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307
    I would look very closely at the 'mould' and check there there are no tiny insects in it. It does look suspiciously like some form of insect infestation. Woolly aphids or mealy bugs.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    This seems to be common with soil containing a lot of coir and with plants that stay constantly moist it can be hard to shift. I normally take new plants out of the pot, carefully remove the top layer of soil with something long and pokey then add a layer of fresh houseplant compost or JI3 with a dress of gravel over the top. Some people don't like gravel on plants as it makes it harder to see if they need watering but it keeps fungus gnats down and looks better. You can judge water content on weight or just add water to the plant tray and see how quickly it gets sucked up.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
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