Question
Hi, I have had a 3 foot dracena Anita for a year, the plant is indoors. I have recently noticed small white specks of what seems like mold all over the trunk. Other than that the plant is fine. Any suggestions?

Answer
Stephanie,

I doubt that it is mould unless the trunk has soft mushy spots. I suspect that what you are seeing looks more like bits of cotton balls all over the trunk and at the leaf joints of the plant. If so it is Mealy bugs, an insect that creates cotton to hide under and suck on your plant. Get a bottle of rubbing alcohol and dip cotton balls in the alcohol then literally wipe the mealy bugs off of the plant. Then put it some rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and spray the entire plant every 3 days making sure you get the fronts and backs of all leaves and the surface of the soil so you kill any eggs that hatch out before they mature enough to lay more eggs. If you don't spray every 3 days for a month the viscous cycle will just keep going. You have to consistantly spray to wipe them out.  If you truly think it is mold and not mealy bugs then you need to move your plant to a dryer location, make sure there is no water in the drain tray, let it dry out well between waterings and spray it every 3 days for a month with Lysol spray to kill the mold. Good luck.

Darlene