It appears that my sweet potato sprouts have developed a case of dandruff!! Both the top and undersides of the leaves are covered with white, flaky, crystal-like structures! Do I have a problem with pests or disease?
Internet research indicated two possible reasons, both of which are not related to pests or disease:
- The plants may have developed "secretory colleters", a condition in which the leaves form clusters of swollen, glassy hairs that burst and secrete mucilage that dries to a crystal-like structure. It is thought to be a defense mechanism, a means by which plants protect themselves from drought.
- The second reason could be that calcium oxalates were secreted through plant pores. Sweet potatoes carry high amounts of this chemical and, supposedly, under certain conditions will secrete excess calcium oxalates that dry to form crystals.
In either case, it appears I may be overheating the jars of sweet potatoes/slips keeping them near the wood stove. I immediately moved the sweet potato jars to a cooler location, freshened the water, rinsed off the mildly-affected leaves and disposed of those leaves significantly damaged. Hopefully, this is just a small hiccup in my sweet potato production.
I have the same thing, wondering if it has to do with the soil in the pot I grow it. I make my own mixture of soil even when growing inside, so I am not sure what this might be. Maybe too acidic?
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