White Powder Crust on Dirt Indoors

Question

I noticed a white powder or crust on top of the dirt in some indoor clay pots. Can it be turned under into the dirt? The dirt is potting soil, so should be good.

Answer 1

This crust is normally a salt layer. It forms if you are using a rather hard water or if the fertilizer is a bit too much. I would gently scrape it off and dispose of it. Add a little new potting soil to the pot to replace it. If the plant seems to be doing fine, this is all you need to do. If the plant has looked a bit weak, you may want to use a distilled water or cut back on fertilizing.