White spots on jade plants (Crassula ovata) are a common sight, and they can ruin the look of an otherwise gorgeous plant. But you can tell if white spots are caused by something other than poor watering.
Why do my jade plants have white spots? Mold growth, excessive salt excretion, or insect infestations are some of the most common reasons jade plants have white spots. There are a few simple steps that can be taken to identify and treat each of these causes.
You’ll need to do a bit of research to figure out what caused the spots on your jade plant. This guide provides all the information necessary to restore your jade to its original health. If you know the information below, you’ll find it easier to recognize the core issue and apply the solutions.
Powdery Mildew
A white mold that occurs on a variety of houseplants, powdery mildew is a common cause of white spots on your jade plant.
As soon as it first appears, it leaves small white circular spots on the broadest parts of the plant. In jade plants, these white spots are first seen on the leaf foliage. The fluffy fungal strings that appear later, when powdery mildew has spread throughout the plant, are one of its most distinctive features.
You need to consider your jade plant’s environment if you consider powdery mildew’s physical look, but you still may be wondering why your plant has white spots.
When a plant has a habitat with low light, low air circulation, cool and high temperatures, and high humidity, white spots are likely powdery mildew. If your plant is in one of those conditions, then the white spots are likely powdery mildew.
Powdery Mildew Treatment For Jade Plants
When you see early signs of powdery mildew, you can usually treat it easier to keep your plants in good health. You can spray your jade plant leaves with a mix of baking soda, non-detergent soap, and water after one-fourth of a gallon of water.
In addition to keeping white spots from appearing again, this spray also kills the spores that powdery mildew produces.
Excess Salts
Water is stored in the fleshy leaves of Jade plants. It is sometimes possible to see white spots on jade plants when they have been watered with a source that is high in salt.
By transpiring and eliminating salt through the leaves, the jade plant attempts to rebalance the salt content within it. The salt will then evaporate and leave a salt residue on the leaf.
These spots look very similar to the first signs of powdery mildew. Watering the jade plant from above can also cause salt deposits to appear on the leaves since excess water evaporates and leaves salt deposits on the leaves.
Wipe the leaves off with a damp cloth and wait a week to tell the difference between fungal infection and excess salts. Salt deposits take longer to reappear. Powdery mildew recurs rapidly and looks like fluffy fungus.
Insect Infestation
Stress caused by insects can cause chlorosis in your jade plant. Chlorosis results from a plant being incapable of producing chlorophyll, which leads to the leaves losing color and falling off.
Infestations of mealy bugs and spider mites appear to occur in jade plants. It is crucial to differentiate between these two considerations when applying remedies.
Mealybugs
Most commonly, Mealybugs are found in jade plants. A mealy bug may appear as a small, flat, white bug. You will find them trying to burrow into jade plant branches and stems.
If you determine that there are bugs on your jade plant, you can try to remove them. One popular remedy involves wiping the insects and eggs with rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab. One way to prevent this is to spray the entire jade plant with rubbing alcohol and water for one month.
Spider Mites
Identify spider mites by spotting white spots on your leaves. They are small, red, burrowing, insects. Spider webbing can also be found on the leaves and stems of your jade plant in later stages. If you do not treat the symptom, a spider mite infestation can kill the plant.
Check your plant every time you shake it and see if any red spiders fall out to determine if spider mites are the problem. If you find you do have spider mites, applying rubbing alcohol and water to a jade plant every three days for a month will kill the mites and their eggs.
Rare Insects
Jade plants are also vulnerable to leaf damage from insects such as aphids and thrips. An equal mixture of rubbing alcohol and water can be sprayed on the plants to quickly eliminate these bugs in an open environment.
Jade plants should not be sprayed with traditional insecticides since they can hurt the plant’s leaves. The sticky leaves of the jade plant could suffer from a harsh insecticidal formulation.
Protecting Jade Plants From White Spots
You’ll be one step closer to your healthy jade plant if you identify the cause of white spots on jade plants. To get back on track after a powdery mildew infestation or insect problem, it is important to take care of remedial measures immediately.
Maintaining an optimal environment for your jade plant is really important to prevent recurrence of the spot issue that caused the white spots.
Conditions of light
Your Jade plant needs six hours of full sunlight per day for optimum growth. Otherwise, it will begin to stretch and become leggy. Low light levels can cause a decrease in health, and also make it more susceptible to pests. Powdery mildew can also grow in low light levels.
You can keep your jade plants healthy and free from problems by placing them in a south facing window.
Fertilizer
The soil needs to be fertilized two to three times per year with water soluble fertilizer for a healthy jade plant. You should ensure that your jade plant has a proper supply of nutrients to keep it healthy, and that it is protected from diseases and pests that may lead to white spots on the leaves and stems of jade plants.
Pruning
By pruning your plants, you can help ensure their health and keep them looking their best. If left to their own devices, jade plants tend to grow quite large, so you will usually need to cut them back to the size you like.
Furthermore, plants grown indoors can become leggy and straggly as a result of inadequate light, so pruning is helpful for maintaining strong and bushy Jade plants that look better.
Repotting
The white spots on the jade plant can recur if you have a serious mildew problem. It is a good idea to repot the plant and remove most of the mildew.
It does far better having its roots bound to a container compared to many other houseplants. If you must re-pot it in order to remedy the problem, make sure the plant is in a period of growth.
After transferring, wait one week before watering the plant to ensure proper root settling. It is also important to let the soil dry out before moving the plant to prevent mold or insects from spreading.
Unless you provide suitable light, temperature, humidity and airflow conditions in your house, you will still get white spots on jade plant leaves.
Propagation
A jade plant that has white spots caused by damage from insect infestations will time will go away, but will soon begin to lose its health and appearance. Propagating from leaves or cuttings will help maintain a healthy plant.
A Healthy Jade Plant: Pro Tips
You can encourage your jade plant to grow stronger by following these pro tips if it has white spots and you need to take corrective action. A stronger jade plant will be more resistant to insect infestations and powdery mildew.
It is crucial for the soil to dry out completely before watering your jade plant. Since jade plants are succulents, using less water means they are more susceptible to powdery mildew.
In the winter, you need to water jade plants less frequently as they aren’t actively growing and there is little water in the soil. The reduction in water quantity also makes the soil less suitable for fungi growth.
In order to avoid white spots on jade plant leaves, you should make sure to provide healthy lighting to your plants, avoid excessive humidity, and keep temperatures between 65°F and 75°F (18°C – 24°C).
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