Kalanchoe beharensis White Cottony Spots - Causes & Fixes

Jump to cause: Mealybugs Cottony Scale Botrytis cinerea (Gray Mold)

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Mealybugs

These small, sap-sucking insects produce a white, waxy, cottony secretion to protect themselves. They often congregate in the crevices of the thick, velvety leaves and can weaken the plant significantly.

Very Common

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How to confirm: Use a magnifying glass to look for tiny, moving insects or small white clusters tucked near the leaf bases.

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1 Isolate the plant immediately from other greenery to prevent the mealybugs from spreading to your entire collection.

2 Treat the infestation by spraying the plant with an organic insecticide or neem oil to kill the insects and their waxy coatings.

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3 Use a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol to manually remove visible white cottony clusters from the crevices of the leaves.

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Cottony Scale

Similar to mealybugs, scale insects can create waxy, white patches on the foliage. They attach themselves to the plant and extract nutrients, often causing the leaves to become sticky due to honeydew excretion.

Common

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How to confirm: Check for small, raised bumps on the underside of the leaves that do not move when poked with a toothpick.

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1 Treat the plant with an organic insecticide to eliminate the scale insects and their eggs.

Bonide Captain Jack's Neem Oil 32 oz

0.9 L • 1 pcs • Organic

$10

In Stock

2 Manually remove visible white cottony patches using a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol to kill the pests on contact.

3 Clean the surrounding area and check nearby plants to prevent the spread of scale insects.

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Botrytis cinerea (Gray Mold)

In high-humidity environments, this fungus can develop fuzzy, light-colored patches on decaying plant tissue. While less common on the velvety leaves of Kalanchoe than on flowers, it can manifest as white/gray fuzz in stagnant air.

Common

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How to confirm: Inspect if the white spots are accompanied by soft, rotting tissue or if they appear primarily on older, damaged leaves.

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1 Prune away all affected plant tissue and any decaying leaves immediately to prevent the fungus from spreading to healthy parts of the plant.

2 Apply an organic fungicide to the remaining healthy tissue and ensure the plant is in an area with much better air circulation to reduce humidity.