Please help - white mold at base of Juniper

[Yevi]

Hello all! I got this Juniper back in June, and it's been doing fine, but yesterday I noticed it had some sort of mold all around the base (see pictures). I scraped some off and moved it to a sunny spot in the hopes that it would dry out (I think it's been a bit too cloudy lately, so the soil is staying wet for too long).



Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Thank you all.

 

[edprocoat]

Although its hard to see in your pics and its usually on the foliage that looks a lot like white powdery mildew, but it also will winter on the bark and the chips. I would get an all purpose mildew-fungicide treatment spray. You really need to get better soil too. I am a fan of some organics in the soil but that looks like a deathtrap for your plant, its going to stay real wet until it dries out rock hard.

ed

 

[Yevi]

Thanks, great advice. Since I'm a total newbie, that's just the soil that came with it. Could you give me any advice on what kind of soil and spray to get?

 

[Beng]

Almost looks like sawdust....

 

[Dav4]

This doesn't look like any fungus I've ever seen. Do you have hard water? I'm wondering if this could be mineral deposits.

 

[bonsaibp]

It looks like mineral deposits to me.

 

[edprocoat]

Dav4, try a simple Google or Bing search if you want to see white powdery mold, or white powdery mildew, either will return you dozens of pages of pictures to edify you on this.

Most often it grows on foliage, but it does drip down onto bark and especially the dead wood chips in your soil, usually its harmless and easy to control.

ed

 

[Dav4]

Dav4, try a simple Google or Bing search if you want to see white powdery mold, or white powdery mildew, either will return you dozens of pages of pictures to edify you on this.

Most often it grows on foliage, but it does drip down onto bark and especially the dead wood chips in your soil, usually its harmless and easy to control.

ed

Thanks Ed. I've actually seen LOTS of powdery mildew over the years, both on landscape trees and bonsai. This just doesn't look like mildew to me, and I'd be reluctant to recommend spraying a fungicide until I was sure that was the best way to go.

 

[GrimLore]

It looks like mineral deposits to me.

I agree - I would take a soft tooth brush to it honest - dipped in a little water vinegar mix.

Grimmy

 

[edprocoat]

Ok Dav4 I read where he just bought this juniper back in June. I have been keeping Bonsai many years and truth be told I have never seen "mineral deposits" form in 5 months time, have you? Mineral deposits usually take quite a long time to form. I guess if there was some heavy mineral laden water source they could form in such a short time. The quickest I have ever seen mineral deposits form was from water from a well in Florida that was laden with calcium and stunk like eggs, it still took over a year to become noticeable, and that was on the pot, NOT the tree.

ed

 

[bonsaibp]

Ok Dav4 I read where he just bought this juniper back in June. I have been keeping Bonsai many years and truth be told I have never seen "mineral deposits" form in 5 months time, have you? Mineral deposits usually take quite a long time to form. I guess if there was some heavy mineral laden water source they could form in such a short time. The quickest I have ever seen mineral deposits form was from water from a well in Florida that was laden with calcium and stunk like eggs, it still took over a year to become noticeable, and that was on the pot, NOT the tree.

ed

I don't know what his water is like but I've seen trunks get build up in some L.A. areas in a few months. Its hard to be 100% sure without seeing it but before I tried a chemical fungicide I'd try a light scrubbing with a toothbrush firts just w/ water then maybe with a little vinegar. If it remains or comes back I'd consider checking with a local nursery or county agent, it may be mealy bug or whitefly or possibly powdery mildew but I wouldn't spray any chemicals until I was sure what I was spraying for. My bet is mineral deposits though.

 

[edprocoat]

I guess I will cede this discussion as I have never seen deposits form that quickly, but the popular opine is that they do indeed and I know you guys would not chance just spouting an opinion on anothers Bonsai without knowing what you are talking about.

I have even searched online for any info on mineral deposits forming on plant trunks and there is not any mention of it on trunks of trees or bushes, tons of info on how to get it off pots though. I did see where they said to be careful to keep vinegar off most plants, adding that it kills grasses, ivys and weeds. It said it does add high acid content to soils so acid loving plants actually need it !

ed

 

[Lazylightningny]

what does it feel like when you touch it? Does it come off easily and feel powdery? Or is it more of a scaly, hard material?

 

[GrimLore]

If I use unfiltered water here we have white deposits in as little as 2 months...

Grimmy

 

[toadmyster223]

I have to use bottled or filtered water, or I get white build-up in literally 1 or 2 days. My water is awful...