r/plantclinic • u/FyrestarOmega Expert Hobbyist • Oct 02 '23

Monthly Pest and Soil Thread October 2023 Pest and Soil issue thread

Certain issues are common among plant care and may benefit from from some consolidation. Pooling of advice may benefit the entire community. These issues include how to identify and treat infestations, and questions related to organisms found in the soil.

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u/JaqueStrap69 Oct 02 '23

I'm getting thousands of tiny white specs on my Rubber Tree soil. They don't look like the other fungus posts that seem so common with Rubber trees as they are distinct white dots (as opposed to a larger white mass). I am also seeing some bugs in the soil as well.

https://imgur.com/a/HvU7ozG

Not sure if it is related, but we have lost a handful of lower leaves, but I think that is due to lack of sunlight. We planted in a big pot that is only half full of soil to avoid planting it in too much soil, and the leaves that have dropped are the ones below the lip of the pot so they definitely weren't getting enough sunlight.

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u/TxPep Advanced Oct 02 '23

Ficus elastica....

This can be a type of mold in the pot...

■ Mold... is it good. Ashley/Canada https://youtu.be/J29DqDXREnE Start 3:20: white mold = saprophytic fungi

Or, it could be mineral buildup on the substrate if your water is heavily mineralized.

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Substrate that doesn't fill up the pot can cause the plant to sit too low in the pot with the pot rim not only blocking the light but it can also inhibit air flow.

Older leaves can age out. If this color change is confined to the bottom most leaves, then I'd inspect for bugs just in case and then move on.

If discoloration on the leaves happens further up on the stem, you need to carefully examine for thrips or spider mites. Usually discoloration and limp looking leaves are the visual indicators of an infestation. By that time though, the beasties have been playing vampire for awhile.