Need some advice diagnosing a white buildup on two of my trees.

[sikadelic]

http://imgur.com/a/7ra8Z

Hello all. Please see the link above for an album of a couple of my trees in need of some doctoring. I have a small juniper that has been around since mid summer with no problems whatsoever. It has always been outside in full sun for most of the day with no ill problems. Fast forward to today and I notice some off-color foliage as well as a small amount of white buildup on the trunk. It looks like some type of mold.

I think the culprit is the Chinese Elm pictured toward the end of the album. It looks to have quite a bit of the same problem but is much more noticeable. I had literally just received this tree in the mail as I was going back to VA for 2 weeks. I packed them in the same box and drove the 8 hours home before setting them on the porch together. All trees sat outside and had a bit of snow on them until the beginning of this week. I just noticed this problem today.

I'm thinking I need a fungicide. Am in in the right ballpark?

 

[sikadelic]

Mineral deposits could be another possibility but I'm not sure how to definitely tell.

 

[GO-OK]

Hard water. Use rain water, or add 2tbsp white vinnegar to a gallon every few days.

 

[typoolVT]

Yeah I would say hard water/mineral build up because it's all around the rim of your pot as well...

 

[sikadelic]

Thanks for the input guys. I know our water is terrible here.

Does that account for the Juniper's discoloration though? Thats why I assumed mold since it is not just cosmetic.

 

[typoolVT]

I would take a soft brush and clean the base of that juniper first off. I own one juniper myself and it looks very similar to yours even though, it was a freebie since it was on deaths doorstep. I don't have much experience with junipers, so maybe someone else can chime in.

 

[GrimLore]

The foliage on our pines, junipers, false cypress all change color a bit during the start of winter. If you are misting the Juniper it is possible that you are seeing some buildup and if you are not certain a little vinegar/water and a soft toothbrush will remove it. I doubt it is a fungus for several reasons.

Grimmy

 

[sikadelic]

Thanks a lot guys. This is my first time seeing something like this on any of my trees. I will mix up some vinegar and water and brush it off.

 

[october]

It does look like water stains. In my opinion, I would first just use water and a tooth brush. Scrub very lightly. Something to keep in mind is that vinegar is an herbicide. Meaning it is used to kill plants. When people want to get rid of weeds, they spray them with vinegar. However, it is used in certain capacities for bonsai. If you decide to use the vinegar, just be careful with it.

Rob

 

[sikadelic]

Well I added about 3-4 capfuls to a spray bottle that holds approx a liter of water and misted both trees. Nothing heavy, just a few sprays here and there.

I am now almost positive it is hard water because it didn't brush off one of the pots very easily. I will have to use more elbow grease and try again.

 

[MrMike]

Use a cleaning stone/pad

I use a cleaning stone and water to remove hard water spots from my pots. A fine grit usually works perfectly. Follow-up with something as simple as baby oil and the pots look like new.

 

[gaffer]

Sickadelic

http://imgur.com/a/7ra8Z

Hello all. Please see the link above for an album of a couple of my trees in need of some doctoring. I have a small juniper that has been around since mid summer with no problems whatsoever. It has always been outside in full sun for most of the day with no ill problems. Fast forward to today and I notice some off-color foliage as well as a small amount of white buildup on the trunk. It looks like some type of mold.

I think the culprit is the Chinese Elm pictured toward the end of the album. It looks to have quite a bit of the same problem but is much more noticeable. I had literally just received this tree in the mail as I was going back to VA for 2 weeks. I packed them in the same box and drove the 8 hours home before setting them on the porch together. All trees sat outside and had a bit of snow on them until the beginning of this week. I just noticed this problem today.

I'm thinking I need a fungicide. Am in in the right ballpark?

In response to the white on your juny.
Sounds like your water is high on alkiline. Use rain water or just let it sit over night. To get rid of the white just use an old toothbrush and some dish soap in water. Should clean up easy.
Good luck
Brian