What is this stuff under my tomato plant?

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Flyover

Flyover

Trying not to screw things up worse
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I bought one of those young pre-grown tomato plants from Walmart and transplanted it into a planter in my back yard (actually a hollowed-out stump filled with potting soil). It's been doing well.

It rained a lot the past few days, and this morning I went out to look at my tomato plant and saw this gooey white stuff all around its base. Fungus? Byproduct of the biodegradable cardboard wrapper? Worm vomit? Aliens? Something else?

I want to know what this stuff is, if I should scrape it away, and whether it means my plant is in trouble.

image.jpg
 
nealtw said:
Did you add lime to the soil?

https://gardening.stackexchange.com...is-this-white-mold-infesting-my-tomato-plants
Click to expand...
Thanks again. The mold in that picture also looks fuzzier and dryer than what was under my tomato plant.

I used basic potting soil, didn't add anything to it--except a scoop or two of dirt from the bottom of my composter. Also, as I said, my planter is a hollowed-out tree stump. I could add that it's been hollowed out naturally.

So, a mold wouldn't be surprising I guess. In any event, my tomato plant seems to be doing OK.

Since we'll be moving in a few months anyway I doubt I'll even be around to watch this thing grow up.
 
I would start by pulling back the bark chips and other woody debris from directly under the plant. The white stuff could be calcium buildup from hard water, but it's bigger than what i would suspect for that. Have you scraped out the white stuff? Was it hard and crystally or soft and mushy?
BTW: in a few months you will have had a bunch of tomatoes, and depending where you are located, growing season might be over.
 
The sun finally came out after 3 or 4 days of rain and overcast, and the white stuff is gone, like it was never there. The plant feels sturdy and looks healthy.

I know I won't be here to enjoy any tomatoes off it but hopefully the next owner will like them.
 
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