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Cacti & Succulents

White Spots on Succulent

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

I found these white spots on one of my succulents. What are they? I tried to wipe them off, a few wiped off on my finger but others didn't. They feel like nothing.

other two plants from same shop don't have em. Upper leaves have less/none.

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Kara 9b SF Bay Area CA

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

Sans, what?! You mean paint can't make babies and spread all over the Op's plant? I'm just throwin out possibilities:).

Could be scale. I've been fortunate enough to never have it, but I know they come in all shapes and sizes. With scale I would think it would feel like something when you rubbed your finger over them. You say they feel like nothing. My other guess would be mineral buildup.

If this was mine I would take it out of the pot and inspect it. Roots and all. I would get some rubbing alcohol and wipe down every leaf with a paper towel or q-tip. Clean the pot real good, and put in new soil. Throw out old mix it was in. To me it doesn't look like a pest, but I'm not there I can't feel it or really inspect it. It's hard to tell in the pic:). Keep this plant away from other plants:).

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Comments (16)

succulentss
Original Author
6 years ago
They have spread further up the succulent today...
Kara 9b SF Bay Area CA
6 years ago
I'm not 100% sure what this is. Let's see:). Can you wipe the dots off easily? Is it like chalk?
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Hi! I had some white spots on the bottom of a few leaves on my succulents awhile ago. My white spots were waxy, and I believe they were scale or mealybugs. I don't know if that's the case with some of your succulents but I treated it by diluting some rubbing alcohol with water and spot treating it with a q-tip. I also rubbed some cooking oil (like canola or olive)on a severe infection of one plant to smother the little buggers. Some infected leaves did dry up and fall off, others just healed but the plant has remains healthy, I hope this helps and good luck with your beautiful plants!
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Do votives have holes in the bottom? I don't think so. If not, your plants are far too wet and will rot. Also, The one shown is potted too deep in the pot. You need terra cotta pots or plastic with holes on the bottom. What soil did you use to repot? its best to water when plants are dry rather than on a schedule.
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That's a total misconception. Most store bought C&S soil have lots of peat in them. Peat is either moisture retaining or once dried out becomes very hard and hydrophobic. Neither one of those things are good. So the perlite helps with drainage, and also loosens up the soil. Don't worry about the marks those are normal. Overtime succulents will start to get marks and age. I have the same or similar plant with the same marks:). They will also start to get a bark like covering around the stem. Not always, but happens:). Same plant as above just the mother plant. The stem was once green and started to age:).
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Sounds like this plant is already suffering from being overwatered. You'll need to get it out of the pot. Some people recommend setting it on newspaper but in this case, if it were mine, I'd get as much of the soil off as possible and see just how bad the rot has become. Is it just the roots? Is it some or all of them? Has it spread to the stem? The plants will fare better cut off from rot than allowed to stay wet/vascularly connected to the rot. Once it spreads, it is the equivalent to septicemia in people. Very hard to save a plant once it reaches that point.
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succulentss
Original Author
6 years ago
@Kara some will wipe off, others will not. I haven't tried baring down very hard, but a few will come off it you just wipe gently with a finger. They stay in dot form.. This succulent does have white powder on it, but the leaves with dots don't have it.
succulentss
Original Author
6 years ago
@Kara some will wipe off, others will not. I haven't tried baring down very hard, but a few will come off it you just wipe gently with a finger. They stay in dot form.. This succulent does have white powder on it, but the leaves with dots don't have it.
succulentss
Original Author
6 years ago
@Kara some will wipe off, others will not. I haven't tried baring down very hard, but a few will come off it you just wipe gently with a finger. They stay in dot form.. This succulent does have white powder on it, but the leaves with dots don't have it.
Sans2014
6 years ago
some sort of insect pest?
Kara 9b SF Bay Area CA
6 years ago
It almost looks like paint.
Sans2014
6 years ago
paint doesn't spread up as was mentioned above. hard to say what the dots are as I can't zoom in.
greenclaws UK, Zone 8a
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
If you take one off and actually squash it on some paper what happens? Blood would defo indicate a life form of some kind...now dead. Goo or similar contents could still be a former live thing, not all life forms have red blood remember, powder or no squashability I have no idea but wouldn't be cause for concern I would think.
Andrew (UK south coast, like 9a)
6 years ago
Are you sure they are spreading, or could it be that as you are rubbing the powder off the leaves you are just exposing more that were there but hidden? The plant looks like to me it may have been splashed with something.
succulentss
Original Author
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
They feel like nothing.. Im not rubbing powder off leaves, the ones with the dots don't have powder... They're too thin to squash, you just can't squish them. Kara, I may do that soon. Not at the moment, but maybe if we can't get it figured out.
should I take rubbing alcohol/nail polish remover and try to rub them off?
rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
6 years ago
Acetone? On plants? May I ask who recommended using acetone please?
Andrew (UK south coast, like 9a)
6 years ago
Whatever these spots are, if they are not causing any harm to the plant, which they don't appear to be, you are probably best to leave it be in my opinion.
Kara 9b SF Bay Area CA
6 years ago
Rubbing alcohol/isopropyl alcohol is what you should use. Never ever nail polish remover.
succulentss
Original Author
6 years ago
My friend told me I should use nail polish remover.. Sounded odd, but for some reason I believed her. Thanks for clarifying not to! Ever since this little plant has gotten somewhat better light, the spots are going away. Hasn't been harming the plant and powder is returning, hooray!

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