Question
Crust
I have some small Venus Flytraps that all appear to be healthy, but they are beginning to develop strange growths that are worrying me. It's a hard, white crust that grows along the backside of newly emerging traps. If I were to remove it, it would have to be scraped; water only seems to fade it until it dries. What is this crust? Is it harmful for my plants?
I sprayed the plants with Bayer's imidacloprid insecticide, but it didn't help, so I don't think it's a bug problem.
About the plants themselves: The plants were rescued from Lowe's and the Naval Commissary several weeks ago. I acclimated them but left them in the pots they came in, but I could see they were beginning to die. I then re-potted them in a soil mix of 1 part peat moss and 1 part perlite. They are doing much better now, healthy and green looking, all except for these growths.
Sorry for the blurry photo, it's the best I could do, but you can still see the white residue along the top of the trap.
AnswerWithout a clear photograph, I can't say for sure what it is, especially since it's a rescue plant. If you back away from the plant a bit, the part in question would be in focus since the back of the pot is in focus.
Based solely on your description, the most I can say is that it's probably residue from the perlite. Perlite is very brittle and crumbles very easily. The dust will sometimes form on the base of plants, especially after heavy rains. (I'm assuming you kept the plant outdoors.)
If it is perlite dust, you can simply take a damp cloth and wipe it off. You can also take a spray bottle and spray it off. The dust itself isn't harmful to the plant. It just makes it a bit unsightly.
If you don't think it could be perlite dust, please submit another photograph. The area in question needs to be clear if you want a proper diagnosis and recommendation. Keep in mind that we're here to help as best we can, but we can only do so based on the information you supply. Blurry photos are only useful for making educated guesses. Take a bunch of photograph using different settings and distances. Select select one that has a clear representation of the area.
But first, wipe off the material with a damp cloth. If it comes off and stays off, then it's likely perlite dust. If not, then I'll need more information to figure out what's going on.
Good growing!
Jacob Farin
