Question
I have a white cottony substance on the tops of the leaves. Those leaves are deformed and dying on my Kalanchoe plant. The pot is about 4" and the plant is about 7-8" in height; it gets Eastern light and sits on a small table by the patio door; it was repotted about 1 year ago; and moved from a southern exposure to the current east. I've not seen any little crawly things on it and it shares this table with 2 African Violets and a Jade plant.All the plants are checked for moisture levels & watered if needed from the bottom to prevent overwatering.

Answer
Hi Jeannice,

Your Kalanchoe has a mealybug infestation. The difficulty with treating mealybugs is that there is always more to deal with than meets the eye. Young mealybugs lack the telltale cotton-like protective coating and they are skillful at hiding in nooks and crannies where leaves and stems join.

The key to successfully eradicating these creatures is to spray the ones that are out of sight. That means that whatever treatment you select, you must get complete coverage, to the drip point, of all leaf and stem surfaces. If you miss a few, they will live to breed another day.

You may want to try spraying with rubbing alcohol. Mix 1 part alcohol with 5 parts of water and add a squirt of liquid soap. Be sure to spray all leaf and stem surfaces thoroughly. The common practice of applying alcohol with a Q-tip is not effective because it misses the ones you can抰 see. It is also best if you repeat this treatment again in 5 to 7 days to catch any crawlers that you missed the first time. After that, you should check your plant weekly to see if they return.

Never spray in direct sunlight or when temperatures are above 75 degrees.

You had best check your AV and Jade plants also as they are both prone to mealybug infestations.

Bottom watering does not prevent overwatering. If you let the plant sit in water for too long or do not let the soil dry out in between waterings, then the roots will rot. On the other hand, if you do not allow the water to get wicked all the way to the top of the soil, then the roots in the upper level of the soil will dehydrate and die.

If you water from the top, it will help flush out excess minerals. In addition, you know just how much water to apply because you will see water run through the drainage holes and know that the soil is saturated.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

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