For houseplant lovers, now's the time to handle these yearly upkeep duties like pruning and repotting. Sadly, it may also be the time to take care of some widespread houseplant pest issues.
Burdened vegetation are extra inclined to infestation, and houseplants will be fairly choosy about rising circumstances. Insufficient mild publicity, irregular watering, dry air and drafts could make for an sad houseplant. Test for and proper these circumstances to decrease the danger of pest issues.
Earlier than bringing any new vegetation house, examine them completely, paying shut consideration to the undersides of leaves. Most pests are tiny and tough to identify, so a magnifying glass is useful when attempting to determine if that spot is a speck of mud or a bug.
Use solely business, bagged potting soil when transplanting indoor vegetation. Compost is great within the backyard, however it tends to harbor all types of critters and their eggs. You don’t need to discover an earthworm crawling throughout the kitchen flooring!
Periodically wash your vegetation’ leaves. For sturdy vegetation, cowl the highest of the pot with plastic wrap (to stop a giant mess) and spray with a hose or rinse within the bathe underneath tepid water. For smaller, extra delicate vegetation, use a twig bottle and moist the leaves till they're dripping. Shake off the surplus water and, if possible, wipe leaves gently with a clear material. Mud can appeal to mites and different pests, and clear leaves are more healthy for the plant.
What if you have already got some pests? First, isolate the affected vegetation so the issue doesn’t unfold. If the infestation is remoted to solely a part of the plant, prune away the affected branches. For aphids, mealybugs and different soft-bodied bugs, spot deal with with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. Pay shut consideration to the bottom of leaf petioles, the place they like to hang around. Spider mites can typically be eliminated with a robust jet of water.
When you determine to make use of any pesticide (natural or not), be sure to’ve recognized which pest you’re coping with. Not all pesticides work on all pests!
Insecticidal cleaning soap is efficient in opposition to many soft-bodied bugs and mites, however normally a number of remedies are mandatory. At all times test labels and choose a product that's designated for indoor use. Typically remedies can stain or harm indoor surfaces equivalent to wooden or upholstery, so deal with the plant outdoors and permit it to dry earlier than bringing it again inside.
Fungus gnats are usually not only a nuisance — their larvae may cause important harm to a younger plant’s roots. If potential, permit the soil to dry out utterly to kill any larvae. This course of could need to be repeated as any residual eggs will hatch and new larvae emerge. If this isn't potential, a soil drench of B. thuringiensis (ssp.israelensis) can get rid of fungus gnats. This product is labelled particularly for fungus gnats and isn't the identical as B. thuringiensis caterpillar killer.