Preventing pests from harming your houseplants is critical. This article will go over the different ways to keep your houseplants safe from any bacteria or disease and the various elements in house plants pest care.
For many homeowners, pests can be an issue that plagues their homes, especially if you have houseplants. Houseplant pest care should be a priority when maintaining your collection.
Many get discouraged because the chemicals that get rid of bugs and other pests are harmful to houseplants. However, there are ways to alleviate your house of any pests and prevent any harm done to your houseplants.
This article will explain the various methods to safely and effectively prevent pests from harming your houseplants.
Let’s consider a few things. Most issues appear in houseplants when you introduce a new plant to the home. Therefore, you should isolate the new plant from the others and inspect it thoroughly. This will prevent any bacteria or disease from plaguing every plant in your home.
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House Plants Pest Care – Environment and Care
The environment the house plant experiences is vital to the overall health and wellness of your collection. In this section, we will discuss the different ways environment and care can affect your houseplants.
Soil
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House plant pest care starts with the soil. Soil is the sole foundation of any plants’ health and wellness. Rich soil ensures that your plant will remain healthy and experience dynamic growth.
It is critical that the potting soil you use is porous and allows air, food, and water to enter the stem. Oxygen is vital to any living thing, including plants, and the soil plays a crucial role in giving it the air it needs to live.
One of the most common mistakes people make with their houseplants is using garden soil. If kept indoors, garden soil becomes hard and prevents any oxygen, water, or food from getting to the plant. Furthermore, the hard garden soil will lock in bacteria and harm the plant.
My soil of choice is soilless potting soil for my houseplants, which will react much better within indoor living conditions. It will remain porous and not harden over time, allowing the plant to receive all the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. Potting soil is also free of any disease or pest and enables the water to drain effectively.
Which Pot Should You Use?
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- 【Mini and Lovely】The clay pots for plants, 4 inches in height, 4 inches in outer diameter, are designed for holding succulent, cactus and herbs....
- 【Drainage Holes】Each ceramic pottery planter comes with a small drainage hole at the bottom, increasing drainage efficiency when watering,...
For indoor plants, you should take careful consideration when choosing which pot to use. It should be a clean pot with drainage holes to allow water to escape. Some of the most common pots used for indoor plants include terracotta and plastic.
We recommend that you either use a brand new pot or plan on reusing them to ensure they are adequately cleaned and disinfected. As discussed earlier, choose a quality brand of potting soil and ensure you leave at least a ½ inch of space left on top of the pot to allow ample watering.
Repotting Your Plants
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Certain circumstances, such as stunted growth, discoloration, and water draining through the holes in the bottom of the pot during watering, could mean it could be time to repot your plant.
There are a few different ways that you can decide whether your plant needs repotting. One of the most common is seeing many roots present after moving or lightly tapping the plant.
So, if you have concluded that the plant does indeed need repotting, you can begin the process. One of the first things you should do is ensure the plant receives plenty of water a couple of days before repotting. This will ensure it is well fed when taking it out of the pot.
If you’re lucky, the plant will be easy to remove by just pulling it out of the pot. However, it may take more effort to remove larger plants.
Tips for Repotting Plants
One of the most popular ways to remove large plants is to tip the pot over on its side and lightly tap the side of the pot with your hand or a rubber mallet if you have one handy. We recommend tapping the pot’s side on a few different spots to ensure the plant is loose and able to be taken out of the pot.
When repotting the plant, it is crucial to cut off a little of the root mast. This should be no larger than one inch thick, just enough to ensure it can fit into a larger pot if need be.
Once you have successfully removed the plant from the old pot, it’s time to prepare the new one. When preparing the new potting soil, put about an inch of soil at the bottom of the pot, ensuring that the plant is at the same height it was in the previous pot. Then, place the plant in the new pot and carefully pour the soil around the plant’s perimeter.
House Plants Pest Care – Feeding Your Houseplants
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The frequency of watering is often dependent on a wide variety of factors, one of the most important being the size of the plant and room environment. Regularly watering your plant ensures the soil remains moist and nutrient-rich. This is a critical element of house plant pest care, as it prevents your plant from falling ill due to bugs and other pests.
When watering your houseplants, you inspect whether the water is leaking out at the bottom of the pot. If this occurs, it could be time for repotting.
When feeding your plants, any quality indoor plant fertilizer should do the trick. However, ensure you follow the feeding instructions provided with the food to ensure proper feeding. It is important to note that fertilizer is only necessary when new plant growth is evident.
House Plants Pest Care – Trouble Signs and Pest Management
There are various ways to determine whether plants are beginning to show signs of problems. These could include:
- wilting leaves
- leaves falling off frequently
- discoloration and yellowing
- stunts in growth
- specks begin appearing
- red leaves
- unhealthy and frail-looking leaves
- browning.
- White spots
These could be due to various pests such as insects eating the leaves or draining the plants of nutrients; some of the most common insects that harm household plants are:
- Aphids
- Fungus Gnats
- Mealybugs
- Scale Insects
- Springtails
- Thrips
- Whiteflies
- Spider Mites
- Cyclamen Mites
House Plants Pest Care – Wrap Up
- Pest Control: Dual sided sticky bug cards for mosquito, leafminer, aphid, and other flying pest problems. Protect your best inside plant from fungus...
- Easy To Use: Peel off a trap from the stack and place in a houseplant, a home kitchen, or a garden. Highly rated zapper catchers to finally protect...
- Organic Gardening: Safe way to remove small pests with no harsh ingredients. Fruit Flies, Gnats and other small flying insects are attracted to the...
Although these are serious issues and could harm your plants, there are a few ways to control a pest infestation. One of the best preventative measures for houseplant pest care is to inspect plants before purchase carefully. This should prevent pest infestation, as this is the most common cause. It is also possible to avoid infestation by using high-quality potting soil and a clean and sanitized pot.
Proper maintenance of your houseplants, such as washing and trimming them regularly, could also prevent pest infestation. As a last resort, chemicals are effective in controlling an ongoing infestation. Various pesticides are specifically for indoor plants that control multiple pests, such as ants and aphids.
When using a pesticide to control an infestation, we recommend taking the plant outdoors and spraying. It is also important to wear goggles, a mask, and other protective gear to protect yourself. If you have pets, ensure they are clear of the area to keep them out of harm’s way.
These chemicals often come in spray form; however, some are concentrated and mixed with water. In this case, the plants are usually dipped into the concentrate upside down, ensuring you treat all the leaves equally.
It is important to note that insecticides and any other chemical are always a last resort. Preventative measures are always preferred and ensure that your houseplants remain healthy year-round.
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