This article gives my personal account of discovering and using these yellow balls in soil (which turned out to be Osmocote balls) and the benefits that come with using them.Д®ach granule is coated with a unique resin that controls nutritional release so that plants get what they need when they need it. So donвЂ™t be alarmed about finding yellow balls in your soil. These fertilizer balls disintegrate with increasing temperatures and can last a maximum of 5 months at 60 o F or 15 o C.ДЄlthough these balls are commonly added as a slow-release fertilizer in the soil they are mistaken for insect eggs most of the time.ДЄfter purchasing my first set of plants a couple of years ago, I found that most nurseries use this to keep their plants healthy for very long periods and so I have also adopted the same practice with my own plants. The yellow or orange balls found in soil are slow-release Osmocote fertilizer balls used to supplement the soilвЂ™s nutrients over a period of time. However, these yellow balls in most cases are fertilizer prills. WeвЂ™re always keen to learn more about plants and soil types but in our experience the most common white things youвЂ™ll find in your soil are pests if youвЂ™re unlucky and perlite.Noticing some colored balls (yellow or orange) in the pots of your home garden can be nerve-racking if you donвЂ™t know exactly what they are. We hope weвЂ™ve managed to answer your query of what is the white stuff in potting soil? If we havenвЂ™t managed to help and itвЂ™s something else in your soil then let us know what you found in the comments below. If you want to stop this from happening again in the future then maybe move your plant to a less humid area, use a lighter potting mix or even water your plant less. But donвЂ™t worry, it shouldnвЂ™t do too much damage to the plant. Hopefully it should just be in the top layer of soil but if it goes deeper then you may need to replace your potting mix. Fungus can look like thick dust and it can also come in the form of tiny white balls. Check the soil, is it soaking wet? If so then this is a very possible cause. If a plant is being watered too often or the humidity is too high itвЂ™s possible for mould or fungus to start growing in your soil. If thatвЂ™s not it and itвЂ™s not perlite then itвЂ™s possible that the white stuff in your soil is fungus.

Do they have wings or legs? If yes then youвЂ™re looking at a pest infestation and itвЂ™s important to separate the offending plant from your other plants and treat the pests immediately. If youвЂ™re convinced that the white stuff in your soil isnвЂ™t perlite then you need to look a lot more closely.

Now if youвЂ™re saying, nope itвЂ™s not perlite, tell me what is the white stuff in potting soil that I need to be worried about then itвЂ™s time to discuss pests. You can get perlite from Amazon, itвЂ™s cheap, easy to use and will work wonders for your plant. If you arenвЂ™t using perlite in your potting mixes then we canвЂ™t recommend it enough. They will be more than happy to explain to you whatвЂ™s in the mix and if they arenвЂ™t, then maybe you should be looking else where for your plants. If you notice these white things in your soil when youвЂ™re buying your plant and youвЂ™re not sure then ask the seller. If youвЂ™ve recently bought a plant from a shop, online or a local nursery and there are small white rocks in the soil then itвЂ™s probably perlite.

Perlite really aids with that and is a great help to your potting mix. ItвЂ™s important for a lot of houseplants that soil doesnвЂ™t become water logged or too heavy and roots need to breathe and can also drown if water is unable to leave soil. It is used in potting mixes to aerate the soil and help with drainage. Perlite is a type of volcanic glass that comes in the form of small rocks or pebbles.

What is the white stuff in potting soil? Are the things youвЂ™re looking at small and white? Do they look like tiny stones but youвЂ™re able to crush them between your fingers? Do they leave a powdery residue? If youвЂ™re answering yes to all these and you want to know what are the white things in potting soil then youвЂ™re probably talking about perlite. Thank you for your support on this platform. Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links meaning I receive a commission if you make a purchase through these links at no extra cost to yourself.

Tiny balls in potting soil