Topic: 'Salt' Marks on baby Geranium leaves

[mikey]

Bought Geraniums  as tiny plugs from Wilko's at £5 for 24 plants, around first week of March.

Potted them up into 3 inch pots about 2 weeks ago, plants are now +/- 3 inch tall with 7 leaves and leaf No. 8 just opening.

All looking strong and healthy ... except ... today I noticed a white marking on the mature leaves. It looks like a salt or calcium deposit (our water is very 'chalky' here on the Lincs Wolds), comes off with a gentle rub and tastes of 'nothing'. The 'white' is round the edge of the leaf and no trace in the centre.

Thinking about it, our last 4/5 days have been glorious, have watered the plants several times each day, they drying out quite quickly.

Have never seen this before, am sure it is not Powdery Mildew (had this recently on young Verbena and cured thanks to A4A assistance).
The Conservatory is not artificially heated, but with current weather has been up to 30C during the day, so doors and roof vents have been fully opened. No other seedlings or plants in the Conservatory show any of these signs.

Comments , ideas please

Mikey

[Tee Gee]

What you must remember that the staff in Wilko's and such shops are 'shopkeepers' not gardeners, and as such, they only tend to water plants!

You mention you are in a 'hard water' area so it is my guess that they have watered the plants from above rather than below, and as these plants are being kept in an artificially lit centrally heated building, the water on the leaves will have a tendancy to dry off  much quicker than they would in say a greenhouse, resulting in the crystalisation of the lime/chalk in the water.

I wouldn't worry too much about it, you could boil a kettle, let the water cool and spray it over the leaves this should clear these deposits!

[mikey]

I wouldn't worry too much about it, you could boil a kettle, let the water cool and spray it over the leaves this should clear these deposits!

TeeGee,

once again, thanks for your guidance/thoughts ... I will give them a spray with 'cold' boiled water tomorrow

thanks also to other Folks who sent me PM's on this subject, time and trouble appreciated.

Mikey