Hello,

My boyfriend and I have owned a Ficus Bonsai for about 2.5 years now. We call him Robert Plant. It has been relatively healthy - other than shedding its leaves fairly often. We also own an Aerogarden which we are growing tomatoes and chilis. I was worried that Robert Plant might be too cold next to the window in the winter so I moved him next to the Aerogarden to benefit from its 8 hours of light.

A few months ago a bit of powdery mildew started growing on the tomatoes in the Aerogarden. I cut back the affected stalks and leaves and now its growing again as usual. Then last week, my boyfriend noticed that Robert Plant had a layer of white mold on his trunk. This mold is unlike the powdery mildew which showed as small, flat, white circles on the stalks and leaves. This looks more like mold - like when you leave a piece of bread out for too long. We took him to a nursery where we were told that it was "a cancer" and that Robert Plant will "probably just die".

I'm not very happy with that as an answer so I started looking online. One site said to use rubbing alcohol to wipe off the mold. Another said to trim back the roots (especially if they look black) and wash them with dish soap and replant in a new pot with new soil.

Do these sound like good suggestions? Does anyone have any idea what is wrong with our Robert Plant? Is it the powdery mildew that has spread to him? Is it the Aerogarden's LED light? Should I move him back to the window?

Any advise would be greatly appreciated as I'd love to revive him as much as possible.

Many thanks.