I changed the pot and soil for this dracaena two days ago and brought it in. It had been left on the back deck of the house we moved into and the soil was really poor. I bought a bag and changed to a slightly bigger pot. It seemed to be fine yesterday but I woke up this morning to the soil covered in whatever this is.Could someone tell me if this is mold or a pest problem. And how do I safely solve this in a house with pets and small children? Thanks so much for any help.
Thank you for this. I was skeptical at first. Carefully removed top layer of soil outside and recovered with new, then mixed the cinnamon into the top. That was 2 days ago and it seems to be doing great. I learn something new all the time. :-)
I have a schefflera that kept getting this irksome white growth all over the top of the soil. This happened after I'd repotted it, new pot, fresh soil. Got some cinnamon capsules (sold with the vitamins at my local grocery store) and sprinkled contents of a few of these over the soil, working it in a bit. Took a couple of doses, but soon the white growth was gone, and it has stayed gone! Some folks mix cinnamon into their potting mix as standard procedure. Orchid growers use it too. Also good for people---helps stabilize blood sugar. If you search 'cinnamon' (see heading 3d from right at top of this page) you will find discussion/info in the Herbs forum. All these benefits---and a lovely aroma, too!
Another simple, quick fix for this sort of mold is a teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in a litre of water. Spray on and watch the mold disappear. Won't harm plants, not strong enough to change PH, works on many fungi problems.
