Symptoms of Salt Buildup in Plants

Residue on Pots

• The most recognizable symptom of salt buildup in plants is a white crust that may look like a fungus on the inside of their pots or on top of their soil. The residue is caused when salts from fertilizers, softened water and/or hard water leach into the soil. If the residue appears, it is likely that you are overfertilizing or salts are in the water the plants were given.

Burnt Foliage

• Salt buildup also can become apparent when plant leaves appear burnt, become brown around their edges or look as if they are dying. If a plant's foliage appears burnt or brownish, its roots probably are decaying. If you notice burnt foliage combined with residue on a plant's pot, then salt buildup is probably the problem. If, however, you notice only brown-edged leaves on a plant but no residue on its pot, then the plant may have been underwatered or overwatered.

Consequences

• When symptoms of salt buildup appear, take action promptly. Excess salt can damage plants roots, steal water from the plants and create drought conditions even if you water the plants regularly. Excess salt also can make important nutrients unavailable to plants and even make them more susceptible to insect invasions. As those problems persist, salt buildup can erode plants' health.

Flushing Treatment

• In order to treat salt buildup and prevent it from recurring, regularly flush plants with fresh bottled water that is free of salt. Pour 1 gallon of bottled water over a plant for each 1 quart of the plant's potting soil. Allow the water to run through the soil and out the pot's drainage hole. All the water must drains out; leaving standing water in the bottom of a pot can damage the plant's roots. Perform this flushing treatment once each month.

Repotting Treatment

• If plants' soil appears excessively salt-ridden, then repotting the plants in new soil is wise. Remove each pot's soil and plant carefully so you don't disturb the roots. After placing the soil and plants in temporary pots, soak the empty pots in clean water, which will remove salt residue. Repot the plants in the cleaned pots with clean potting soil. The plants should be flushed monthly with fresh, salt-free, bottled water.

Proper Fertilization

• Fertilizing properly keeps salt symptoms in check. Foliage plants require a 20-20-20 fertilizer. Flowering plants need a fertilizer with more phosphorus, such as 15-30-15 fertilizer. Fertilize only when plants grow actively. The amount of fertilizer to use depends of the fertilizer product; follow the fertilizer manufacturer's instructions on the fertilizer's label. Typically, 1 teaspoon of fertilizer needs to be mixed with 1 gallon of water before it is given to indoor plants. Plants in bright places need more fertilizer than plants in darker spots. Although fertilizer manufacturers may recommend fertilizing plants every one or two weeks in the growing season, that may be too often. North Carolina State University recommends fertilizing houseplants once each month during spring and summer and two or three times during fall and winter.