What Is The White Stuff In Potting Soil

White stuff in potting soil can be unsettling especially if you haven t come across it before you don t know what it is and you don t know if it can harm your plant or not.

They have absolutely nothing to do with plants getting root rot if that is indeed what is happening. What is the white stuff in potting soil. Check out the photos below to see perlite both in potting mix and on its own. That s why these little white lumps are also known as volcanic popcorn.

The quick answer is no that white stuff growing in your potted plants will probably not harm them. They are added to potting soil to keep the soil from compaction. In fact many organic gardeners believe that living soil is the ideal environment for growth. Furry and white mold is called mycelium.

Mushrooms along with yeasts and mold are examples of fungi. The irregularly shaped white pieces that comprise half of most potting mixes is what is called perlite perlite is a naturally occuring volcanic glass that is mined all over the world for industrial purposes as well as for hydroponic farming and horticulture purposes. Mold is a type of fungus and is important in soil because it helps to break down the components of the soil into the nutrients which then are available for the plant s roots to take nutrients in to the plant. These white bits are vermiculite or perlite.

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If you re answering yes to all these and you want to know what are the white things in potting soil then you re probably talking about perlite. Although you don t always see them molds and fungi are present in every organic gardening mix. When you re transplanting in the greenhouse this fall your soil mix will probably be peppered with small white granules. But after years of using it at my own potting bench i realized i didn t actually know what it is or where it comes from or whether its environmentally sustainable.

Perlite is a type of volcanic glass that comes in the form of small rocks or pebbles. Luckily the most likely thing that is in your potting soil is perlite especially if you ve recently bought your plant from a seller. Are these plants in pots. It is used in potting mixes to aerate the soil and help with drainage.

In potting soil they have the little white chunks.