Can anyone tell me what is in the dirt and on the roots of my plant?
by Angela A
+12
I was getting ready to split and pot up this houseplant (sorry can't remember the name) when I noticed all these little white-ish spots in the dirt around the roots...my plant doesn't seem to have suffered from it, but I don't know what they are? Do I need to wash off all the roots really good? Are they harmful?? Does anyone know and/or have seen this before? Is this eggs? Spores?? Help!
small white spots, eggs? spores?
10 answers
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They may be springtails, soil inhabitants that help decompose organic material into soil. Usually seen in a healthy environment. Check out Red Worm Composting: Worm bin creatures (http://www.redwormcomposting.com/category/worm-bin-creatures/) for more info. I do vermicomposting--it's a great way to compost your kitchen food waste, and will make lots of wonderful compost fertilizer for your plants!
![Lorraine]()
Lorraine
on Mar 11, 2015
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Maybe aphid eggs.
![Julie Dever]()
Julie Dever
on Mar 11, 2015
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There are many beneficial bacteria and fungi in healthy soil. If the plant was fine, I would just re-pot, adding good soil mix. If you are still concerned, isolate from others for a month or so and observe.
![Joan]()
Joan
on Mar 12, 2015
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Your local Cooperative Extension office likely has someone on staff (or an Extension Master Gardener Volunteer) who can help you figure out what you have.
![Linda B]()
Linda B
on Mar 12, 2015
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Are you sure they are alive? I've used builder's grade perlite, which is smaller than the regular garden stuff in my potting mix and it looks just like that. I doubt they are eggs or larva or nematodes (but have been wrong before). If it isn't perlite, I'd suspect a fungus and if the plant is healthy, leave that fungus in the roots - it may be a beneficial one.
![Cheryl]()
Cheryl
on Mar 12, 2015
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Do you use well water? Could be deposits from the minerals in the water.
![Barbie]()
Barbie
on Mar 12, 2015
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I'm not sure what they are, but if you plant seems healthy I would not be inclined to intervene.
![Douglas Hunt]()
Douglas Hunt
on Mar 12, 2015
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Looks like fungi, no harm to the plant. It sometime grows on the surface of soil. I usually just fluff the soil and turn it under although yours is not on the surface maybe the same.
![Lonia LaVelda Boss Walter]()
Lonia LaVelda Boss Walter
on Mar 12, 2015
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Regardless of the comments everyone has made, please do get your plant checked out. If it is some sort of eggs or larvae, you wouldn't want it spreading. You would certainly regret that. It's great that you are repotting that plant. It's all roots :) Wish you the best!
![Kristen Rikli]()
Kristen Rikli
on Mar 12, 2015
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Thank you all for your comments and info.... I did go ahead and remove all the dirt from the roots and washed them good hoping to remove what does look to me like tiny eggs....although I'm no expert....But I though, better safe than sorry....I also threw away the pot it was in originally. The plant looked fine and healthy but again, better safe than sorry. I'll just baby it for a while and hope for the best! :-)
![Angela A]()
Angela A
on Mar 12, 2015
Lorraine
on Mar 11, 2015
Julie Dever
on Mar 11, 2015
Joan
on Mar 12, 2015
Linda B
on Mar 12, 2015
Cheryl
on Mar 12, 2015
Barbie
on Mar 12, 2015
Douglas Hunt
on Mar 12, 2015
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