My plant is drowning in salt!

I was quite certain that my plant at the office was infested with some disease. The soil was coated with this white crusty layer and the stem near the roots were also coated with the same white crusty nonsense.

Try as I might, I couldn't find any disease that was white and crusty. White and fluffy, cotton looking yes... that's mealy bugs infestation... but white and crusty? There was no such disease...

A search on google brought up the root cause (pardon the pun)... it's pure and simple salt!

Now before you start thinking that I am such a ninny as to water my plants with salt water, I assure you that I don't! However, I don't exactly water my plant with tap water... I use filtered water.. Unfortunately, the filter in the office is probably rather lacking in purpose. My potable water really doesn't taste very good.

I initially figured that if I could drink the water, my plant should too, since filtered water is supposedly good for you. But its only after realising the origin of the salt did I remember why my home filtered water always has a particular taste soon after its first clean... I gather the little brown ceramic beads in the filter has this effect.

Come to think of it, Singapore water being cleansed from our human liquid waste, its little wonder that we need vast amounts of chlorine and fluoride in it to make it good... (My fishes died faster after Singaporeans switched to personal pee consumption for tap water, my fish seller tells me its the excessive cholramide used to treat the water).

So.. I'm going to try and immerse the soil to purge the salts.... will let you know if it works.. else its time to throw out the plant for a new one