White Spots on Jade Plant: Causes and Remedies
Some plant lovers are worried when small white spots suddenly appear on the leaves of the jade plant. This conspicuousness is usually harmless and can be avoided by proper care. A pest infestation is rarely responsible, but it must be treated immediately.
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White Spots: Care Errors or Pests?
White spots on the jade plant are almost always an indication that the plant has too much water in the leaves. It “sweats” out this water, leaving white spots, which are easy to wash off. They do not harm the plant.
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However, if there are also small white web-like substance on the leaves in addition to the white spots, caution is advised. In this case, it can be wool lice or mealybugs. These must be combated immediately.
The white spots are not mildew. Powdery mildew shows up as a white or gray coating, in which individual spots are not recognizable.
Powdery Mildew on Jade Plants
Powdery mildew is shown by a white or gray coating on the leaves. If you discover this, you should immediately cut off the affected parts of the plant and dispose of them. Biological remedies or household remedies such as milk or baking powder are suitable for combating powdery mildew.
Why do Jade Plants Get White Spots?
Like all succulents, the leaves of the jade plant store a lot of water. If the moisture of the substrate is too high, the leaves can no longer absorb the water completely and release it over the top of the leaf – they “sweat” it out.
The leaking moisture leaves white spots consisting of lime or salts.
Washing Off the White Spots
The white spots on the leaves can be easily rubbed off with a soft cloth. The plant is not damaged.
If the spots cannot be rubbed off and the leaves are also sticky, there may be an infestation by mealybugs. You must fight these pests immediately, otherwise the jade plant will lose all its leaves and eventually die.
How to Prevent White Spots on Jade Plant
Most jade plants are watered too heavily. Water your jade plant sparingly even in summer. The root ball should never dry out completely, but should never be too moist.
Pro Tip:
Some types of jade plants generally have white spots on the leaves. There are also varieties whose leaves have a red color when exposed to a lot of sunlight. In these cases it is normal leaf discoloration.