How to Prevent Terracotta from Turning whiteĮfflorescence is a natural process that can be disrupted in different stages. Once again, some people really like this look, but if it’s not your style, you should look for manufactured clay pots. This means that hand-crafted or artisan terracotta pots are more likely to display this white crust. In contrast, pottery fired at a lower temperature may experience more efflorescence. You should note that machine-made terracotta pots accumulate this salt buildup more slowly because the clay’s internal structure is more compact with fewer holes. Will All Terracotta Pots Turn White? Efflorescence may develop both inside and outside of terracotta pots. Flushing the soil every so often will also remove excess mineral salts from the soil, but it will not remove the white deposits on the pot. You can prevent salt burn by using a gentle fertilizer and by watering with rainwater.
An efflorescence actually means your terracotta pots are working the right way to prevent excess mineral buildup in the soil that could burn your plant’s roots! In addition to creating a deposit on the outside of the pot, too much salt in the soil can burn your plant.
These salts usually come from hard tap water and fertilizer.
While the salt deposit on its own is relatively harmless, it may be a sign that the soil has too much salt in it. It may become an issue for vining plants like Pothos that hang over and touch the side of the pot because coming into contact with too much salt can burn the stems and leaves. Are These Deposits Harmful for Plants?Įfflorescence is not harmful to plants, as these salt deposits only exist on the outside of terracotta pots. Salt and mineral blooms don’t harm the plants inside the pot, but if you don’t like the look, there are ways to remove the buildup and keep it from coming back. Of course, these are usually more expensive than their normal counterparts. It’s even more interesting to see some retailers have picked up on this trend by selling “pre-aged” clay pots with a white finish. It certainly does give them an old, weathered look. Some people really like the look of efflorescence on their terracotta pots. When the water evaporates, the mineral salts get left behind on the outside of the pot, which creates that white crust. Even though they look solid to the naked eye, clay and terracotta pots have microscopic holes that allow water and minerals from the soil to travel through the pot. This is a natural process that occurs because terracotta is porous. Its technical term is efflorescence, although some people call it a patina. That crusty white buildup on your terracotta pots is a mineral salt deposit from hard water and fertilizers in the soil. What is this White Crust Building Up on my Terracotta Pots? A quick fix for this problem is to scrub the pot with a vinegar mix or bleach solution.Ī white terracotta pot is not everyone’s favorite, but preventing and cleaning one is possible! Keep reading to figure out how to keep your terracotta pots look amazing. The white crust on the surface of terracotta pots is calcium, salt, and mineral buildup from hard water and fertilizers. Terracotta pots are beautiful and should stay that way! But what happens if they start turning white?!