hi all,

i've noticed a yellow and white substance on the surface of the soil of some of my houseplants. looks almost crystalline. i would assume it's a fungus?...and it seems to be showing up more and more. is it harmful? what can i do about it?

also - i've been growing a shoot of a wandering jew, and it's growing big new healthy leaves - but it isn't branching. if i want to grow a larger plant and not just one shoot, should i pinch it and put the new bit back in the pot? or will it eventually branch? where would i pinch it? how long should it be before i do?

thanks much!


slowjane

Wandering jews are one of my fav. houseplants....I love them.....I've never really done any pinching though.....I always root about 4 or 5 stems at a time, and then always plant at least 3 of them in one pot so that it grows fuller and quicker.......Keep checking back for an answer though, Will should be coming through......

If you clip right behind the last three leaves, you should get some branching. But if you have a longer shoot, say 10 nodes or so, clip about 3 nodes (two nodes with leaves that you can cut off and the tip three leaves) and pop it into soil. They root pretty easily but if you want to be sure it roots up well, pop the clipping into water, preferably in something with colored glass.

Sorry, I don't know about the fungus.

Jane,

It may or may not be a fungus. If it is, it is not harmful to your plant. Scrape it off and the loose soil around it. Repeat as often as necessary.

Wandering Jews don't branch. Using multiple plants in a pot and regular pruning is what will keep it full looking.

Right, Will. I probably was looking at this incorrectly. I just thought "Sure it'll branch" not thinking of what it is exactly that Jane might be looking for, i.e. a full pot.

It will put off little branches from the main stem but these are incidental, few and far between. It will not "fill" the plant out any.

got it - so i'll just keep pinching it when it gets long and rooting those stems....

and thanks for the reply about the fungus - glad it's not serious.

we're a hypochondriatic bunch aren't we?