I have a lavender plant in a previously used pot, and the pot is now showing a dusting of white all around the bottom, stopping about 2 inches up. I'm assuming it's mould, and I want to know how to get rid of it! Also, some leaves are blackening/drying out. Would it harm the plant if I rinsed the soil/pot in a diluted solution of hydrogen peroxide + water? Any thoughts why this might have happened? - I made sure the soil has good drainage. - I was watering every couple of days, so perhaps it was too much. - When I was potting the lavender, I got rid of a lot of the roots because it was rootbound. Perhaps this weakened the plant and made it susceptible to rot. - The plant hasn't grown much since I planted it. It is indoors and has been too weak to take full sun so far.
The white is accumulated salt (mineral) likely from fertilizing. I'd say put the pot outside in a spot that gets morning sun to start and then move to full sun.
Thanks, Debby. I thought it might be salt, but the way it has spread over the pot surface seems different than a salt layer, which is why I think it's mould.
What I can remember from military med. training and my chemist room-mate, Hydrogen Peroxide is going to basically explode any cell it runs across, healthy, sick, desired, or pathogen. I can remember the exact methodology, but I believe it has to do with breaking water into OH (anyone know for sure?). So I wouldn't suggest that. Did you sanitize the pot first? Could it be a reaction from that? If not, it is quite possible mold or a reaction caused by a pathogen with the plant. Root rot usually takes a few weeks in my experience, and there is the tell-tale "sewage" smell - not necessarily rotten, but the swampy smell of a damp, slow draining area. There eventually will be quite a bit of mushy stalks at the soil level, with quick droop on those stalks in a few days. Sorry I didn't do a bit more research with this - hard day.
Thanks for that tip! Hydrogen Peroxide is cool! I didn't sanitize the pot, and now I'm regretting it. My plant's drooping and showing a shrivelled stem, so it's basically some form of die-off even if there's no swampy smell. I'll have to throw it out. I'm glad I posted here.
Sorry to hear that. I didn't know about sanitizing either my first few times. Was lucky 1 out of 3 times. Depending on your style, I know a light chlorine mix (but rinse oh so well) - I haven't done that just knowing about chlorine from my Nuke-chem med training in the military. Another is just a good soap and water, followed by a light rubbing alchohol (91%, not the 70%) followed by one or two rinses works for plastic (I've done that). Organically, I haven't looked into what, but have heard there are ways. One way I could think of if it fits in your stove, I know soil can be baked at 300* for an hour (?), so that may work on tera cotta pots... Another might be the anti-mold stuff for fish tanks/ponds... Any suggestions by anyone?
