Waxy/Wet Look On Leaf Of Plant

Question

I have problems with my house plants: some have a waxy/wet look on the leaf. The soil gets a white ashey look to it when it’s dry. Also, some plants have these little gnat-like flying bugs in the soil. What do I need to do for a healthier plant in both cases?

Answer 1

You have two separate problems. The white, ashy crust is made of salts that are built up over time fromwater and fertilizer. It's time to repot with fresh soil. As for your pest problem, you'll find the following articles very useful:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/hpgen/pests-and-diseases-of-houseplants.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/hpgen/common-bugs-and-pests-on-houseplants.htm

Answer 2

the wet sticky can be scale and the whole plant needs to be washed,or trashed.scale looks like little brown or white bumps on plant and need to be completely removed on plant and pot to kill.the alge gnats eat rotting plant matter in soil,you can repot the whole plantwith new soil or scrape off the first inch of soil, put down epsom salts then soil then salts again to kill gnats.