White alkaline crust has recently appeared on the surface of the dendrobium pot. What is the cause?

Many potted-plant lovers like to grow some flowers and plants at home. They not only provide something to admire, but also decorate the environment and purify the air, making people feel refreshed and energized. Moreover, some flowers and plants can even be used as medicine to treat illnesses or in dietary therapy for health preservation. Dendrobium is just such a flower and plant that combines ornamental, medicinal and health-preserving uses in one.

But growing flowers and plants in pots requires us to put in a certain amount of time and energy to care for them so that they can fully realize their value. Dendrobium, in particular, as a multifunctional, multi-purpose flower and plant, usually requires quite a lot of time and energy to care for. And attention to details is also very important, as it greatly affects the plant's growth and ornamental quality.

Many plant lovers have encountered the phenomenon of white alkaline crust forming on the pot surface while growing dendrobium, and this is often a phenomenon that people tend to overlook. In fact, when this happens with potted plants, everyone must pay attention to it, otherwise it will go on to affect the plant's normal growth.

When white alkaline crust forms on the surface of a dendrobium pot, it is often caused by using improper water quality when watering, mostly due to frequently using hard water to water the flowers. Or it may be caused by choosing the wrong fertilizer, mostly due to applying chemical fertilizers or poor-quality compound fertilizers. Alkalization in the pot is unfavorable for the growth of dendrobium, because this plant itself prefers slightly acidic conditions.

At this point, we need to focus on comparing the color of the substrate when it was potted with its color now. If the situation is not very serious, when watering later, use soft water for irrigation, and it is best to drip a few drops of a slightly acidic substance into the water to adjust the pH of the substrate so that it is more suitable for dendrobium growth. Generally, after using slightly acidic soft water several times in a row for dendrobium, the situation can be improved, and afterward you only need to water with clean water.

If it is caused by choosing the wrong fertilizer when fertilizing, it is recommended not to apply poor-quality compound fertilizers, and even more so not to apply chemical fertilizers. It is generally recommended to apply some decomposed organic fertilizers, such as soybean water, sheep manure, etc. If you really must apply purchased fertilizer, slow-release fertilizer is recommended. And the amount of slow-release fertilizer does not need to be too much, nor the frequency too high; during the growing season, just scatter about 10 or more granules into the pot every 1-2 months.