I've noticed tiny little groups of crystals in some of my pots.




It's not a *lot* but it definitely wasn't there before. I'm guessing it's salt accumulation from using tap water. Is it bothersome in this amount?

I don't think it's salt. Was the potting mix one that is said to require less watering?

sooby said:I don't think it's salt. Was the potting mix one that is said to require less watering?

I've used a mix of miracle grow seed starter formula and miracle grow potting soil in all my pots. That particular picture was mostly seed starter formula.

I don't think it's salt either. My water forms a solid white mass over time in my pots. I don't have any to show you at the moment. It's usually all over, and not in a concentrated area like that. I think it might be something from one of the mixes.

Should I try to remove it?

I don't think it's anything harmful, but you can remove it if it makes you feel better. I'd probably just leave it.

Has it done the same thing in any that were only Miracle Gro potting soil? There are several different MG potting mixes, some contain water-holding crystals. Try scraping some of them into a container of water and see if they expand. (Don't use a container you use for food or drink).

would it be unsafe to just uh... taste it and see if it tastes salty?

MaestroDT said:would it be unsafe to just uh... taste it and see if it tastes salty?

Well I certainly wouldn't. Salts on the surface of potting mixes look like white powder, not like your picture.

Why in the world do you want to taste it???!
Unbelievable.
People are advising you just to leave it alone.
It is certainly no more bothersome then having a single plant in a HUGE pot!! I would think about downsizing that pot.

BigBill said:Why in the world do you want to taste it???!
Unbelievable.
People are advising you just to leave it alone.
It is certainly no more bothersome then having a single plant in a HUGE pot!! I would think about downsizing that pot.

Kidding, man.
Pot is only 6" by the way. It's just a seedling.

Well the pot is way to big. You pot larger as the plant grows. Expecting a small plant to grow into a pot is not the best idea. Water issues often result.
I really thought that you were going to taste it. You had me.

BigBill said:Well the pot is way to big. You pot larger as the plant grows. Expecting a small plant to grow into a pot is not the best idea. Water issues often result.
I really thought that you were going to taste it. You had me.

Hmm. I just re-potted it into that pot. What series of sizes do you usually use for potting? I have some really tiny ones that I sprouted seedlings in, some 4" disposable plastic ones from plants I've bought at the garden center, and 6" plastic ones that fit into the hanging planter I built. I'm kinda short on space since it's an apartment, but I felt like 6" was a good size.

I start out seedlings in a 3", move to a 4" and then transplant into the ground directly.

BigBill said:I start out seedlings in a 3", move to a 4" and then transplant into the ground directly.

The question wasn't about how to start seeds. Infact, MaestroDT seems to be doing a good job at that.

@MaestroDT, did you rub some between your fingers? It looks like sand floating out of your mix. But, if they are bug eggs, you will know in a minute.

DaisyI said:

The question wasn't about how to start seeds. Infact, MaestroDT seems to be doing a good job at that.

@MaestroDT, did you rub some between your fingers? It looks like sand floating out of your mix. But, if they are bug eggs, you will know in a minute.

Yeah I did. They're sparkly so it's hard to not touch. Feels gritty, very much like sand. They don't squish. I guess it could be sand or the water-retaining crystals. I've only noticed it recently and it's more prominent in the pots that have seed starting formula soil on the top layers.

Then I would suspect sand. If you put water retaining crystals in a bowl of water, they expand. Sand doesn't.

DaisyI said:Then I would suspect sand. If you put water retaining crystals in a bowl of water, they expand. Sand doesn't.

I don't know if MaestroDT actually tried putting the crystals in a bowl of water when I suggested it earlier. As Daisy says, that would narrow down the possibilities.

sooby said:

I don't know if MaestroDT actually tried putting the crystals in a bowl of water when I suggested it earlier. As Daisy says, that would narrow down the possibilities.

I did. Well, I tried. It was hard to get enough of a sample. But when I see it accumulated again, I will try again!