Experienced gardeners know that when growing seedlings, and then vegetables, they have to deal with many negative factors. When I noticed a white coating on the ground in the greenhouse, I chose a proven method of dealing with it. But first I had to determine what this phenomenon was and why it appeared, and then develop a strategy for the future.
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Reasons for appearance
After conversations with familiar greenhouse owners, I found out that a white coating on the soil in a greenhouse is not such a rare occurrence. But the answer to the question of why it appears and how, most importantly, to get rid of it may be different. It turned out that there are two types of white plaque of completely different nature.
White plaque appears as a result of two processes: the development of pathogenic microorganisms or the accumulation of soil salts. Visually distinguishing one from the other is not easy. But you can analyze the greenhouse care system to understand the reason.
Biological cause
Various mold cultures are always present in the soil, but with proper care they do not manifest themselves. Fungus (mold) is activated by the following deviations from care standards:
- Overmoistening of the soil. This can happen when you water excessively by hand over a long period of time, or, for example, if the seal in your drip irrigation system breaks and you don't notice.
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- Irregular ventilation. Without proper ventilation, the warm and humid microclimate of a greenhouse creates the best conditions for increased mold growth.
- Lack of ultraviolet radiation. When there is little sun, the temperature drops, but the humidity remains the same. This combination also gives impetus to the development of organics.
- Heavy ground. Dense soil is characterized by reduced capillary permeability, which is why moisture does not have time to completely evaporate. Combination with at least one of the previous conditions leads to an obvious result.
Chemical cause
The second reason why the soil in a greenhouse turns white may be the process of podzolization of the soil. In this case, clay and alkaline particles and metal oxides (for example, iron and aluminum) are brought to the surface.
Efflorescence, as a rule, does not harm the plants themselves (if you do not ignore it for too long), but it leads to a decrease in soil fertility, and then the yield. The following reasons can trigger the process:
- Increased acidity levels. Occurs when too much fertilizer is applied or it is chosen incorrectly.
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- Crop rotation is formed incorrectly. The key to a high yield is the correct selection of vegetable crops. They should not only be compatible, but also be planted in rotation: first, crops that absorb fertilizer well, then crops with less fertilizer consumption.
- Hard water. It accelerates the accumulation of salts, so experienced gardeners prefer to use rainwater for irrigation (or at least replace part of the water with rainwater). If it is difficult to manage rainwater, you can hang a bag of peat in a barrel (peat adsorbs hardness salts).
White plaque on the ground: warning and prevention
Prevention is always cheaper than cure.
Group plantings look very impressive.
This ancient wisdom applies to houseplants as well. The main activities can be mentioned:
- Systematic loosening of the soil.
- Proper pot size and drainage.
- Ensuring favorable temperature conditions and lighting.
- Competent and timely feeding.
- Using a substrate that is most suitable for a particular plant.
- Regular watering.
Watering can be rare, but should be plentiful.
Understanding the root causes of soil discoloration or the formation of powdery spots on the ground is only one aspect of solving home gardening problems. Sometimes it is simply impossible to determine why plaque appears on the pots of indoor plants, since the creation of favorable conditions for growth cannot be subject to strict regulations alone.
Flowers add mood to the home.
Thinking, trying, experimenting is the only recipe for all occasions.
Why plaque is dangerous
Whatever the deposit on the ground or on containers is - mold or salt, it does not pose a direct threat to already grown flowers and vegetable crops. But it will definitely affect the harvest, its size, as well as the quality of the fruit. The appearance of plaque as a sign of waterlogging is more dangerous for seedlings.
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The root system of young plants is not developed enough; they will not be able to absorb excess moisture and, most likely, will begin to rot. High humidity creates conditions favorable for the development of fungal, bacterial and viral diseases, as well as insect pests. A combination of factors worsens the resistance of plants and, if nothing is done, ends in their death.
White plaque on the ground: disinfection and disinfection
Unfortunately, most types of mold are not that easy to remove. Most recommendations on this issue boil down to replacing the soil and planting container. Moreover, a prerequisite is their high-quality disinfection. This requirement is due to the fact that the spores of some fungi are extremely tenacious.
Avoid any fertilizer while the flower is sick!
The best method is calcination - the earth or substrate is subjected to prolonged temperature heating (more than 90 degrees) for half an hour. You can use an oven or stove for this.
It is necessary to understand the characteristics of each disease in order to choose the right drugs for treatment.
An alternative option is steaming - you need to pour a little water into the pan and cover the top with gauze or a thin cloth. The prepared soil is poured onto the fabric and covered with a lid, after which the water should boil. Then you need to boil everything for at least 25-30 minutes, but it is advisable to keep the soil longer, so that later you won’t be surprised again why plaque appears on the pots of indoor plants!
For plants that require high humidity.
How to distinguish
Mold and efflorescence can be difficult to distinguish by sight, but simply by touch. Efflorescence is dry and hard to the touch, it is difficult to confuse it with mold: the organic matter is soft, slightly moist, alive. In both cases, the color does not have to be white. For example, the red color of efflorescence indicates that iron and magnesium salts predominate in the water; It appears white when there are a lot of insoluble calcium salts (lime) in the water.
This is why there is little efflorescence if you use soft or settled water. By the way, there is a lot of efflorescence in snow water with excess sodium salts. If you are confident in the quality of the water, and efflorescence appears, the cause may be insufficient drainage, overly fertilized soil, or incomplete wetting of the soil.
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It is especially easy to distinguish a fungal infection from efflorescence. Mold looks like a downy coating, thin threads are visible; Over time, it grows along the walls of the greenhouse. Both mold and efflorescence should not be ignored. You need to take the fact especially seriously when the soil in the greenhouse turns yellow or green; what to do in this case depends on the time of discovery and the age of the plants.
Watering with hard water
Water for watering indoor plants must be soft and settled, preferably rain or snow, warmed to room temperature. However, in urban conditions it is much more difficult to collect rain and snow water than in the countryside, especially when it comes to winter. The lack of natural water sources in the city forces flower growers to use tap water because they have no other choice. As a result, the plants receive a liquid that contains lime and chlorine; over time, their leaves begin to turn yellow or dry, the tips begin to die, and that same white coating appears on the soil. If measures are not taken in time, the plant may even die. What to do?
In order to soften the effect of tap water, one day before watering, you need to fill the container from which you will water the flowers with it and leave it at room temperature without covering it with anything. During this time, the chlorine will evaporate from the water, and the lime will settle to the bottom. Using this trick, you will minimize the harm that improper watering can cause to the plant.
- Why do the tips of leaves on indoor plants dry out and how to deal with it?
Dry air is what immediately comes to mind when we see dry tips on indoor plants. But not everything revolves around humidity. There are other reasons why yellow or brown spots appear on leaves.
To improve the effect, add table or apple cider vinegar to the water (at the rate of 10 drops per 1 liter). High-moor peat placed in a plastic bag also helps. The latter is pierced with a needle and placed in water, which is then used to water the plants. You can also use a magnetic neutralizer to treat water, or simply boil and cool the water to room temperature. Another option is to freeze the water and then warm it at room temperature.
How to get rid
In greenhouse conditions, white coating can seriously harm plants and future harvests. When it is discovered, three things need to be done: find out the origin, outline a control plan and begin to implement it.
If organic matter has settled on the ground, then you can act in two ways:
- During the ripening period of the harvest. Chemicals (fungicides) cannot be used at this time. It is necessary to properly ventilate the greenhouse (you can leave it open overnight). Additionally, the ground is sprinkled with a mixture of ash and charcoal (in equal proportions); instead of the mixture, you can use expanded clay.
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- After harvesting the fruits (late summer or autumn). The surfaces of the greenhouse are washed with soapy water. The soil is treated with any disinfectant composition (for example, Fundazol), then lime is added to it (as an option, dolomite flour).
To prevent the occurrence of white mold on the ground in the greenhouse in the future, the following measures are taken:
- Sprinkle the soil with lime.
- Green manures (green manures) are used. They are sown to be used as fertilizer after some time.
- A preventative measure is seed treatment before planting. They are kept for half an hour in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate, then washed with warm water and the procedure is repeated.
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If efflorescence appears as a result of excessive watering, then the top layer of soil is removed. This is done only after harvesting in the following order:
- The top layer of soil (10-15 cm) is removed, the beds are covered with lime, and after a day they are quenched with water.
- After another three days, liming is carried out (the soil is deoxidized with lime, dolomite flour, and ash).
- New soil is poured on top. After planting the plants, the ground is loosened and mulched (using leaves, straw, compost, sawdust).
If the cause of efflorescence is unknown, remove the affected layer of soil, replacing it with new soil or humus from leaves. Then deoxidation is carried out: materials containing lime are added (can be purchased in specialized stores).
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How to remove mold in a greenhouse in the following video:
Preventing mold from growing in flower pots
Mold in the soil always has a negative impact on the health of the plant, so it is better to prevent its appearance at all. The following recommendations will help prevent mold in the soil in flower pots:
- pay special attention to the watering regime and avoid over-moistening the soil;
- use only flower pots with special holes in the bottom;
- Be sure to place a drainage layer on the bottom of the pot before planting;
Mold on the soil in a flower pot.
- water the plant exclusively with soft water;
- when planting new plants, use a pot of suitable size;
- loosen the soil in the pot as often as possible;
- use high-quality soil when transplanting;
- disinfect the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate at least once a month;
- mulch the soil in the flower pot with sand, charcoal or expanded clay.
Biological processes
In addition to the physical processes that influence the formation of white plaque, biological factors also affect the soil surface. One of them is fungal microflora. It is formed, again, from excessive watering.
It happens that the purchased land already contains mold. For adult indoor flowers this is not as dangerous as for young seedlings. Sometimes this mold grows throughout the entire depth of the pot. I get rid of such substrate as quickly as possible. And don’t throw it in the garden! Somewhere further away under the fence.
What is efflorescence
The accumulation of salts on the soil surface is called efflorescence. They are formed due to the release of insoluble or poorly soluble salt deposits from the soil. Salty areas have the appearance of a whitish or yellowish crust, which can be mistaken for mold. Some formations may be similar to a fungus. But it should be borne in mind that white salt deposits, unlike other deposits, do not have a specific texture, but lie evenly over the pot, closing the pores of the soil.
Adult plants are practically not exposed to this scourge. Most often, a white coating is characteristic of young bushes or flowers transplanted into completely different soil composition. The greatest impact is on seedlings, which during their adaptation period are very weak and react strongly to any external changes that may relate to ambient temperature, amount of watering and fertilizing.
It is important to know! Efflorescence itself does not pose a threat to the life of the plant, but if the problem of deposits is not eliminated, the flower may die. With a thick layer of greenery, it becomes difficult to breathe and take nutrients from the soil.
