White flecks on Moses!

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lafemmekatia Loris, SC(Zone 8b) Nov 02, 2017

I have just recently received a baby Tradescantia Spathacea and I love it. The person who gifted it to me grew it from a cutting and it was rooted in water. I potted it with commercial “cactus and succulent” soil, it’s what I had.
It’s two weeks later and every morning for three days, I find little white fuzz along the edges of the leaves. Just the edges. I washed it off of course.
I will try to send a photo.
It does not look like a living creature, it has no legs, etc.
It looks like tiny flecks of chalk.
Help! I love this plant!

Thumbnail by lafemmekatia Thumbnail by lafemmekatia
Post #10331970
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Kayel Country Club Hills, IL Nov 04, 2017

Mealy bug? Anyway, I’d repot it in fresh potting mix after washing throughly, including roots. Throw old soil away cuz I’ll bet it’s in there. Good luck!

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TomH3787 Raleigh, NC(Zone 7b) Nov 05, 2017

If you've not seen any evidence of insect pests I wouldn't assume it's mealybugs or whiteflies, etc. Some plants will exude water at the leaf margins and tips when growing in excessively moist soil. For example Pothos/Epipremnum is very prone to this behavior. Perhaps what you're seeing is the plant "sweating" and the white specks are from dried minerals. Try decreasing the watering a bit (let the soil dry out on the surface) and see if that helps.

Post #10332385
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Kell San Leandro, CA(Zone 9b) Nov 05, 2017

I enlarged it and though the photo quality is not good enough to see details, they do look 3 dimensional. Are they? Did they come back after you cleaned the leaves?
Do they go gush when you squeeze them? Mealy bugs are so difficult to get rid of. You have to be so vigilant. They can get down in the crevices that are so tight, you can't believe they could fit. I would get them deep down between my clivia leaves.

Post #10332389
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kittriana Magnolia, TX(Zone 9a) Dec 05, 2017

SC, have you had the rain I have had here in Tx? White spots- yours are different than my plants, but it caught my eyes. I haven't checked my tradescantia, but white spots in this humidity to me screams 'rust'. I have discovered a friend in Fl has spotted it, and I have burned both some crimson clover and a morning glory that had tattletale signs show up.

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