Hiya, In one of my cacti pots where my two grafted cacti are, the surface of the soil keeps getting this white, almost crusty stuff. It almost looks like mold, but it's not fuzzy, it's more crusty than anything. It also keeps getting on the base of the cacti and I keep scraping it off. When it appears on the base of my two grafted cacti I damp a papertowel with miracle grow treated water and wash the leaves with it. I'd like to know how I could possibly prevent this? I've had my two grafteds for 4 years, and the entire time this mysterious "white crust" keeps appearing. Thanks! Lakota
Hey, I don’t think that it is a fungus. If it was then you would have been watering far too much for too long and your cactus would have rotted by now. Does you plant seem to be healthy? Let me guess, the white stuff on the stalk of the cactus is up to the same level that the water goes when you water it? My guess is that the white crust is either minerals from the water, dried plant food, or soap/pesticides if you’ve ever used them. Try raking the soil around a bit with a chopstick of something, then watering with just pure water for a few months and see if that helps. If it does then use the plant food at only half the strength you are using it now. Let me know Michael
No, I'm not using any pesticides or anything. I don't water my cacti much, and when I do I use a spray bottle on the fine mist setting, so they don't get soaked with water. The two cacti are very healthy so I suppose I'll just scrape it off when it reappears. They're branching like crazy. :-P Thanks! Lakota
Do you water the cacti really intensely and then let them dry out? If so, it could be salinization .. which would be aggrivated by excess fertilization, but if you are not fertilizing it could simply be that your soil is high in cations. I agree that it is not fungi, so maybe try adjusting your watering habits.
