Kalanchoe Rosalina Don Vidal White Cottony Spots - Causes & Fixes

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

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Mealybugs

These small, soft-bodied insects secrete a white, waxy, cottony substance to protect themselves. They congregate in the tight crevices of the Kalanchoe 'Don Vidal' leaves and stems to suck sap.

Very Common

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How to confirm: Inspect the undersides of leaves and leaf axils for tiny moving insects hidden within the white fluff.

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1 Isolate the plant immediately to prevent the mealybugs from spreading to your other houseplants.

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

Bonide Captain Jack's Neem Oil 32 oz

0.9 L • 1 pcs • Organic

$10

In Stock

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

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Cottony Scale

Similar to mealybugs, these pests create a white, felt-like covering over their bodies. They can cause the fleshy leaves of your Kalanchoe to become stunted or deformed as they drain nutrients.

Common

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How to confirm: Check if the white spots are stationary and attached firmly to the stem rather than moving around.

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shopping_cart Recommended Products

1 Isolate the plant immediately to prevent the spread of scale to other houseplants and use a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol to manually remove the white cottony spots.

2 Apply an organic insecticide spray to the entire plant, ensuring you coat the undersides of leaves and crevices where pests hide.

Bonide Captain Jack's Neem Oil 32 oz

0.9 L • 1 pcs • Organic

$10

In Stock

3 Monitor soil moisture levels closely, as overwatering can stress the plant and make it more susceptible to pest infestations.

GROWIT Soil Moisture Meter - Blue

Water Meters

$12

In Stock

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Botrytis (Gray Mold)

While usually appearing as fuzzy gray mold, early stages of fungal infection in high humidity can appear as light-colored, cottony patches on decaying leaf tissue.

Common

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How to confirm: Check if the white spots are accompanied by soft, brown, or water-soaked lesions on the leaves.

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1 Prune and remove all infected or decaying leaves immediately to prevent the fungal spores from spreading to healthy tissue.

2 Apply an organic fungicide to the affected area and surrounding foliage to control the spread of the Botrytis infection.