Hello, I bought a philodendron about 2 or 3 weeks ago, and from time to time there have been small pathces of this white webby stuff on the surface of the soil. Whenever I saw the stuff I swabbed it off the soil (with rubbing alcohol). It does not appear on the foliage or between the stems, so I am assuming that it's probably not spider mite. The plant so far looks healthy (thriving indeed), despite some of the sheathes (I'm not sure about the correct term for it) at the lower parts of the stems are turning crusty and brown, and there are brown, scabby-like stuff at the bottom of one of the stems. Also, part of the roots that are not buried under the soil are getting somewhat "furry." And I just discovered that the white butterfly plant (or elephant ear plant?) that I bought just yesterday also has the same problem (although the plant too looks healthy). Now I am getting worried, as I recalled several years ago I had a plant that had the same problem, and I ended up having to discard it because the soil was covered under a thick layer of this white webby stuff. I keep the plants indoor. Does anyone know what this white webby stuff is? How do I eradicate it? Could fertilizer be cause of it? Thanks!! -Justine p.s. I've searched the web and couldn't find any information about it.
It's fungus, possibly mildew, or some other kind of mold and it usually appears where conditions are too wet. Let the top of the soil and more dry out before regular waterings, use a little fan in the room (not pointed directly at the plants) to stir the air a bit, and consider adding some grit to your soil mix so it drains quickly. Don't leave drain water standing in saucers. Do get some house plant fungicide and drench the soil according to label info. Good luck.
Thanks for your help, Rima. I now keep the air in the room as circulated as possible. I haven't bought the fungicide, but I used a mixture of liquid soap with several drops of tea tree oil (and some other fugus-killing essential oils) and rubbing alcohol (99%), which seemed to work. Also started experimenting with sub-irrigation to keep the top soil dry.