Hey Chueh, when you say ceramic do you mean red terra cotta? If so, the white salty stuff is soluble salts that the pot has leeched out of the soil. Don't worry, this won't hurt the plant (unless it collects on the rim and you're growing African Violets or orchids). You can however easily remove it. If it's wet I usually just wipe it off with a paper towel. If it's dried, you can use a brush and scrape it off.

Well, sort of like the red terra cotta. It's not made from red clay. It's not glazed inside. It's glazed outside. But I guess the salt still can leech out.

Some of it can be from fertilizer as well as hard water minerals.

Billy Rae

From an old post: "I frequently wander through the dollar store or places like Big Lots, looking for containers for the plants I propagate & give as gifts to friends & garden visitors. I got soooo excited one day when I was at Big Lots and found serving bowl sets that were beautifully drip-glazed and had a crackle finish. I immediately envisioned beautiful dish gardens in them and bought all they had. They came in sets, but were sold individually. The sizes were approximately 3-1/2 gallon, 2-1/2 gallon, and 1-1/2 gallon and were priced reasonably at $6.99, 4.99, and 3.99, respectively. I think I bought 3 full sets & three containers that were from broken sets. Since they were serving bowls, I set up a table & drilled drainage holes in all of them on a Sat.

Our bonsai club buys assorted dwarf conifers and assorted evergreen & deciduous dwarfs from Iseli Nursery in Oregon. I think we pay about $5 each for them and usually sell them at art fairs, etc., as a fund raiser. Well, I bought a whole assortment of 20 and thought I'd sell them in the bowls as dish gardens, so I potted them up in bonsai soil.

Now, I rarely have trouble keeping plants alive, but every one of the plants were dead within 2 months of planting. Soon after I planted them, I noticed a white residue on the outside surface that was weeping through from the inside. It gradually got worse as the plants died, until the point where I emptied the bowls of plants & soil. Under the pots, I found big gobs of a white reside, so I applied a little vinegar to see how basic it was - it was extremely caustic and was obviously the cause of the plant's demise.

I was actually quite astounded, as these were SERVING bowls & meant to be used for that purpose or for decoration. I have no idea what was in the clay it was made from, but my guess is that there's a good chance it wouldn't benefit anyone to consume it incidentally via food served from them!

They were made in China, btw. I threw them all away, along with the dozen or so plants that died in them - an expensive misfortune."

It's entirely possible that what your seeing isn't a precipitate of soluble salts at all, but something leaching out of the container material. Of course, it still might be the more likely precipitate of fertilizer and irrigation water salts, too.

Al

Once again. Al you probably hit it on the nose again!! I saw this post yesterday and wondered.....How can my clay pots be turning white on the outside, if some of them have never seen the light of day of fertilizers,s and nothing but rain water. I don't think there is enough salt in rain water to make my freshly planted clay pots, lets say about 3 monmths old, turn white...Thank for the info.

My African Violets would sometimes acquire salts, I believe the cause was fertilizer..What I do is fill sink with warm water, then set AV's inside..Leave plants in the water/sink long enough soil is drenched..I try doing this once a wk, or once every two wks..since then, no salts..
Any plant, (especially in pots 6" and under) would rid salts by placing in a sink full of water..you can do this with larger pots, but it'd probably take a long time filling up to the top..Toni

Ok....Now I am begining to think that the clay pot themselves have something in the clay used for making them. I planted 7 palms trees in brand new Clay pots 2 weeks ago and I am already noticing the outside of these pots turning white and fast... I have been only watering with rain water and not fertilizing one bit. Maybe it could even be a build up of harmless mold, because this seems to happen when the pots are damp and the room humid. Does any of this makes sense?
Thanks

Yeah, actually it could be mold, too. I've had a few pots in my fluorescent light garden that are moist most of the time get that mold on them, now that I think about it.

Mike, I'm curious about something, did you soak clay pots before potting up palms?
When and if soaked, (new clay pots) do you gals/guys notice the 'stuff' that dirties water? Or discolors water? There's a white coating on new clay..is that clay particles or something else? I wonder if this powder builds up after we pot a plant then water?

Mike you say there was white stuff on soil? Does it look like mold or salt? How wet is the soil, and does it stay moist long periods?
One more thing, did you notice this white stuff when your palms were outside or indoors?
How do palms do in clay pots? I've never used clay for palms..I would think clay dries soil too fast..NO?

Saucer, did you see mold in clay, plastic or some other material pots? If a room is humid, soil stays moist/wet, and lighting is low, it's quite possible mold will grow on soil. Mushrooms, too..LOL..
Hey Saucer, how did you type the word, 'actually,' in italics? LOL..Toni

Hi Toni!!:-)

Nothing on the soil. It was fresh soil used in brand new pots from Homedepot. I actually used only a mix of bark, perlite, a tiny bit of peatmoss in some, then turface, crushed granite and bark in the others.
So that is what baffles me. I should have the cleanest pots since I have not used fertilizer nor any kind of water but rain water. I tend to agree with what you stated about the pots themselves.
In fact, I don't think I have ever been able to keep a clay pot looking fresh and clay looking...lol
I am curious as to what it is though.
I never had any white stuff on the soil too.
If I said this I am sorry. The white coloring or substance is only appearing on the outside of all my freshly planted clay pots.
Also the palms I have growing in them were barerooted that I have received over the past couple of weeks and they are only seedlings. They were planted into 6 inch clay pots. So no fertilizer for a while..:-)
So to sum up, the white soft feeling to these clay pots wipes off with my finger..Weird ha. What can it be?....:-)
if it is not fertilizer nor salt build up from watering practices too.

Mike, no, I'm sorry, I misread your post.
Is it possible the palms were fertilized at the nursery? They could have added something to soil to promote new growth, u know?
How long did it take before your bare-root palms appeared green, grew foliage? I've never bought a bare-root palm..What kind of palms did you get?
Last year, I won bare-root, Salmon flowered and Pepperment variegated Crown of Thorns on Ebay..they appeared lifeless. I thought they were dead..lol..Only after repotting in fresh, well-draining soil, water, SuperThrive and artificial light, (living in Il, there's very little sun in winter) did leaves sprout..The Salmon only has 2 leaves, variegated about 17..Oh I also won a variegated Adenium, (Desert Rose) without leaves..It now has 3..I'm hoping now that daylight is longer, a LOT more foliage sprouts..
How many leaves were/are on your bare-root palms?
The white stuff on your pots are not on leaves right? I have no idea what it could be..unless it's the powder from clay I mentioned above??? I don't know what you mean when you say it feels soft..soft how? LOL.
Wow, you used 6" pots for seedlings? Isn't that large? The insructions that came with COT's and Desert Rose, instructs planting in 6" containers, but I feel 6" is way too large for little cuttings with few roots. IMO, a 6" works fine depending where one lives..for instance, plants in Fl/Ca grow faster, so a large container would probably fill in quick...but for those of us in northern states, 'again, this is my opinion,' plants grow slower...it's worse for people who overwater, especially if they've potted in heavy soils..
Considering you used clay, hopefully the soil will dry quicker..It also depends on the type of palms you got..desert or tropical?
Wash the white stuff off..maybe a little soap then rinse thoroughly..some ppl use bleach, but I'm not suggesting it..Too chicken..LOL..Toni

Toni, try this: your word - and eliminate the spaces.

Hi.....Toni,

I just got the Palms last month or somewhere around then, and they are babies.. I think seedlings. Cute, but by the time they even grow one throd, or leaf, I might be dead of old age by then, and I am in my 30's..LOL
Is it true that most Palms are very slloooww growers? LOL
I have superthrive..NICE. I will use it!!I have only two leaves on most of them,, ,,what the heck do you call Palm leaves anyways? What is the shoot called that opens to a bunch of leaves on that one shoot? Does this make sense. Dir.. I call it a ton of leaves on a palm shoot opened..lol
Yes they are cute , healthy, and green, in a very fast well draining soil. In fact, so fast, that I have to water everyother day. That room gets hot, now that the sun is stronger.
By the way, YOU SHOULD SEE MY DESERT ROSE here at work. Everyone wants it. It is loaded with flowers!
Some day I will take pictures of my plants and post them when I am not so lazy about it.
Toni, and some others here, I feel like I am making good friendships, even though I never see your faces....:-)
Someday we should all have a Garden Forum convention!!lol
Have a great day. I think I would be safe to say that the white stuff is probably like a chalking substance that just appears once clay gets wet....Hum..

Hey Mike. I'd love seeing your pictures, especially Desert Rose, now that it's in bloom.
Since it's at your work, is it in a window?

I believe palm leaves are called fronds. Or is that fern leaves? LOL. I'm unsure.

Yesterday, after reading your thread on Palms, I ended up on Ebay..Sure enough, I bid on 3 palms..lol..won two. Blue Mediterraium Fan and European Fan.
There's one palm listed at 650.00!!! That must be one hellofa palm..Do people actually buy plants that cost so much money?
The last bid was for a Travellers Palm..though it's not a true palm, (it's related to Bird of Paradise, Sterlitzia, spelling's off) I doubt I'll win. Has anyone ever seen a mature Travellers Palm? It's amazing. There's one at the conservatory; they have to chop down periodically, otherwise it'll hit the top green house panes.

Some palms grow faster than others. Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans) Kentia (Howea forsterana) and Areca (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens) Palms grow quicker than most. I have one of each, they've put on many 'fronds?' over the years. I'd like Bamboo..but can't find one that doens't cost a fortune. Seeds take so long, germinating, plus growing. I'd too be long gone before seeing a 4' palm started from seed..LOL.
It would be nice meeting people from Gardenweb. But where on earth would we all meet? I get lost going to the store, lol, let alone driving out of state. And I have a fear of planes. The last time flying, I thought I'd have a heart attack. LOL. But I agree it'd be great meeting everyone. On a nice, summers day.
A few years ago, people on Citrus forum met. They got together, introduced themselves, went to a citrus show, was taught grafting trees, had speakers discuss citrus and their care. Most people lodged at the same hotel/motel. Met for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It sounded wonderful.

Perhaps the white powder is from clay pots??

Mike, when you don't feel, 'lazy,' lol, (your words) take pics. Toni

Toni....You make my day!!!lol

I even have a Flame Thrower Palm tree. They are georgous, if I ever see it mature. I even have an egwana one..Weird looking!! It is only 4 inches tall..lol..Maybe it will throw a flame on every birthday of mines...4/4.....I will leave the year out...lol and myabe the egwana one will start to stripe on the trunk before I am long gone!
Funny, I did what you did, Ebayed Palm trees and went crazy!! I got baby Parlor Palms too, and I even have Kentia..Are they not graceful. And they only need low light to boot. Hey, they don't fight for the sun like all my others do..LOL
Have agreat day Toni. And thanks again for your support in my endeavor to raise healthy plants, and not kill the manager at my local nursery...Lol
Mike

Toni, the white fluffy mold was growing on the sides of a terra cotta pot that holds my maiden-hair fern. And yes, it is quite humid in their-- or at least it was, until my humidifier started misbehaving. Same stuff that grows on the topsoil of certain plants in the winter time.

Mike, HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY...
You got a Flame Thrower Palm? Is that the palm w/red leaves? If so you are sooo Lucky. It's a beauty all right, but beyond my budget..
I've never seen or heard of Egwana. I'll have to Google it. Striped leaves? Sounds novel. I have a striped fern, off Ebay, called Tiger fern. Its leaves have dark and light green stripes.
Yep, Parlor and Kentia thrive in lower light, but they enjoy humidity. I keep a small humidfer running at night during winter months in the bedroom where palms live. I also have a Phonix Roebilini but that stays on the first floor in front of a glass door, no added humidity. Since it's, (I think, a desert Palm) it doesn't require as much humidity as tropical palms.

Saucer, whenever someone mentions CA, I think of warmth, humidity and sun. Then you mention using a humidifer, a stubborn humidifer to boot. Time for a new filter? If you have pets, especially shedders, humidfier fans attract fur like weeds in a garden. Our filters last 1 1/2 months. Unless you have a fillterless type, buy several filters in autumn, so you won't run out.
You too have nerve growing ferns in terra cotta. Doesn't soil dry quick? Do you soak your Maiden-hair fern in a sink filled with water? Do you have a hygrometer? Know what percentage humidity is in that room? Toni
PS..my favorte Mainden-hair is the one with leaves shaped like triangles or baseball diamonds..is that the correct spelling? Stems are black..that's one heck of a fern, so striking..I'd buy one in an instant. Toni

Toni.

If you would like a seedling Flame Thrower, let me know and I would gladly send you one ASAP. I happen to have a couple of extra ,because the person that sent them to me said I made his day>>>>So by suprise he sent me 3 instead of one>>:-)
Just let me know..
P.S. Would you ever put your Kebtia Palms outdoors for the summer, or would you keep them indoors with the windows open?
By the way, the name of the other Palm I have is called a Gecko Palm...Not Egwana..LOLOLOL
Take care for now...:-)

Toni, your picture of CA is spot on for the most part. However, it tends to be a bit colder and often cloudier here in the bay area with our interesting micro-climates. I have my maidenhair in my florescent light garden--mainly for the humidity, because it was on the brink of death while in the bathroom. It popped back real quick, but now is sort of so-so. The longer I have this plant, the more I'm convinced that it's not meant for container culture. Maidenhair is a California native plant and in the wild you find them growing like weeds (along with another sword-shaped fern I've yet to identify). I have no problem keeping it moist in terra cotta though. I don't know.... orchids are a cinch for me but I just can't seem to get it right when it comes to ferns.

No pets (unfortunately). My humidifier is a Hunter with washable filters. I've cleaned it out before, and the fan is working just fine. The problem is that it simply isn't putting out any moisture. I'm sure it just konked out from being on almost continuously for over a year now. And I'm trying to replace it but none of the stores are currently carrying them. Guess I'll have to get one online, because otherwise it's a great humidifier. My hygrometer currently states that the humidity is hovering around 45-50%. Not bad, but not great either though that figure will shoot up as high as 80% if I water and or do dishes or take a shower.

Hey Mike. One summer I took palms out, set them against the house so they faced east.
They did great but the reasons I stopped taking them outside is due to space and Spiders. Not mites, but creepy-crawly arachnids. Any plant that is set against the house, for some reason, ends up with spiders in the pot or on leaves, they build webbs. Yuck. They terrify me. I know I know, they eat unwanted pests, but that's okay, I'll do the job myself. LOL..
Mike thanks, but I can't accept your palm. But thanks for the offer.
I now understand what you meant. LOLOL..You called it an Iguana Palm, but its real name is Gekco Palm. Not that it matters, I've never heard of a Gecko Palm either. I'll try Googling a pic. Did you say you got it on Ebay? Maybe there will be a pic there. Did you buy from a Palm nursery or seller who sells a little of everything? Did you ever check Coconut Palms, palms? He has a great selection. I bought what he calls a Potato Chip Palm, I swear the fronds look like crinkly chips, can't recall the brand of chips, you know which I mean?
It'll probably have two leaves, if that, since I got the least expensive palm, and we all know how slow-growing palms are, especially for those of us who live in cold climates. I wish I knew how to post a link, here on Gw, but don't know how it's done..it's truly an amazing. So unusual. I hope it makes it, hopefulally with care, humidity, and fresh air, it should be okay. I hope. Toni

Toni, wait till you see what this Palm looks like...I think by the time it grows and looks like this, it will be my grandchildrens time long after I am gone!!lol
By the way, I found out that even water deposits once in the soil, come out through the side of clay containers! Heck, I suppose if I let a GRAPE popsical melt inside one, the outside of my pot would eventually turn purple!!LOL
I guess that is what we can expect when using clay. I think they act as flters for the soil!!
It is not always mold...Thank God...Or that would have to be another worry!!lol
Take care and Thanks for all your kind words my fellow warrior against pests and other problems!!

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