Brown powdery stuff growing on soil?

13 years ago

I planted a whole bunch of redpepper seeds in multiple containers. Some of those containers were from cut up juice boxes. One of them, just one of four planted in a juice box is growing at the same rate but there is this brown powdery substance on the surface of the soil. I thought maybe it was residue from the iced tea in the box so i cleaned it out and replaced the soil and replanted in the same box. A few days later the brown stuff is there again. It sort of looks like powdered ice tea and when I water the plant some of the brown powder floats up into the air.

Featured Answer

toxcrusadr

13 years ago

Or, there is some type of fungus growing in the medium, which is either a powdery type or gives off powdery spores. It is not necessarily harmful if the plant seems to grow OK. In fact, many fungi have been proven to enhance the growth of various plants when grown together. So I wouldn't worry about it unless the plant seems to be damaged.

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Comments (11)

Kimmsr
13 years ago
What was your planting medium made of?
I sometimes have seen, in containers where a peat moss based planting medium was used, a similar powdery brown substance would float to the surface.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
13 years ago
next time.. go buy some small plastic cups.. solo cups ... cut 3 holes in the bottom edge with a razor blade .. and use those ... rather than wax paper boxes ... there is no way to sterilize such ...

and we need to know your media ... a very high peat media.. will probably lead to failure ... its probably ground peat.. not iced tea.. once added to water.. dry ice tea will not turn back to powder ... since there is no freeze drying going on ...

and did you really mean that watering makes it float in the AIR???

ken
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vr46
Original Author
13 years ago
The soil is mostly peat (afaik) and some "quick grow" stuff as well. I get soil in 1 or 2L plastic packs here in Hong Kong and most of the info is in Chinese.

I just now took a quick look and noticed some brown, disk shaped things growing on the surface.

@ken - Yeah, when i spray it with water, it disturbs the powdery stuff and it blows out into the air.
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
13 years ago
That soil sounds like it's comprised of too many fine particles, dust. I would try to find something more chunky, less hydrophobic than peat.
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
13 years ago
Agreed. But the cultural conditions that allow fungus to grow are often not good for plant roots.
Flowers Wilkerson
4 years ago
I experienced the same.
Jessica V
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
I found the same thing in a garden bed this week. It was a big patch of white (It looked like a piece of white paper that had partially disintegrated in the rain) with a brown powder underneath. When I disturbed it, the powder floated into the air. And yes, it must be extremely hydrophobic since it also put a fine dust into the air when I sprayed it with water.
HU-414778775
3 years ago
Today I had the same brown substance that when watering the brown substance that looks like ground brown tea when watering it actually blows floats like dust in the air. What is it? Anyone?
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
3 years ago
A very fine brown powder that disperses into the air sounds like fungal spores.
HU-990125701
last year
Same issue in my potted eggplant and in one of my potted hydrangea cuttings. Clouds up when watering and reminds me of cinnamon spice or, as someone wrote, instant iced tea. Would really like to know exactly what it is.