(Question) White powder type substance on leaves.

[DBuchhorn]

Hi Everybody, I've been caring for my Ficus Ginseng now for roughly 4 months. I bought it with this white powdery substance on the leaves thinking I could easily wash it off with some water and a fine cloth. However this was not the case, I cannot clean it from the leaves without injury to the tree.

If anybody could please advise me on how to remove it I would very much appreciate the advice.

Also, This is my first Bonsai and I have no experience so please leave some discussion on idea's of shaping this tree and how I should go about the design. I would like to keep growing the trunk outwards and thicker.

PICTURES:
Leaves with white substance:

Fresh leaves with no substance by the looks of things:

Approx. 2 weeks in my care:

Approx. 4 Weeks in my care, Freshly prunes and watered:

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Looks to me like mineral salts. When you water with high dissolved minerals, the water will evaporate and leave the minerals behind.

Trying wiping the leaves with a paper towel soaked in vinegar.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Is not full strength vinegar too strong? I also agree is H2O spotting.

 

[Starfox]

We have quite hard and heavily chlorinated tap water here and I noticed the same thing after misting so now I run my water through a jug filter first and it has stopped leaving the residue behind.

 

[sorce]

I wipe mine with my finger.

If yours doesn't come off so easy, I wouldn't water the leaves....

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[GSCarlson]

Another possibility is powder mildew. I don't know if ficus are susceptible to it.

 

[aml1014]

Another possibility is powder mildew. I don't know if ficus are susceptible to it.

They are not very susceptible to powdery mildew At all, it is definitely mineral build up on the leaves. I have such hard water here that my bonsai pots go white in 4 months.

Aaron

 

[Jarath]

Same spots for me, crappy water

 

[petegreg]

Agree with the others, mineral salts. U can try rain water / cold boiled water for misting.
Removal of the stains is easily done with wet cloth and you can use some waxy spray in case of ficus.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Is not full strength vinegar too strong? I also agree is H2O spotting.

I have never had a problem with it on ficus. Then again, I wouldn't recommend soaking or spraying with vinegar, just wiping off without leaving much (if any) vinegar behind.

 

[GSCarlson]

Good that it is not powder mold. I have had that problem with other species and I wouldn't wish that on a politician.

 

[Planta]

I don't think it powder mold. Looks like water spots to me too. Well water?

 

[thegrower]

If this plant came from a large commercial outfit the reside you see is more than likely left over from a fungicide or insecticide. I see it all the time. Some of these residues are very resilient as they are intended to stick. Our common practice is to using a wetting agent called capsil. Heavy spray to runoff with 4oz/100gal h2o. Dawn dish soap can also be used. A leaf shine product could be used by I advise against it as it gives an unatural high gloss and can burn the plant if placed into direct sunlight.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Vinegar is a herbicide at something above ~5+% or so. Live with it and keep the offending fluids off the leaf in the future. You're going to do more damage than good. It looks more like both hard water and salts from liquid fertilizer folier-fed.