Understanding And Addressing Pest And Disease Problems Of Indoor Plants

Are you having trouble keeping your indoor plants safe and healthy? Just as you need certain nutrients to live a healthy lifestyle, plants need proper lighting, temperature, and water to thrive. You need to inspect your plant health by identifying pests that can harm them. You should also know about some common diseases that can occur in plants.

If you are familiar with all these things, you can order houseplants without worrying about their health. Here, we will explore some pests and diseases of potted plants indoors that you need to manage to maintain their health so that you keep getting fresh air and enhance the aesthetics of your surroundings.

Learn About Pests Commonly Found On Houseplants

Your household plants can fall victim to harmful pests, which can ruin their health and growth. Harmful pests ranging from aphids to thrips and mealybugs are some of the most common types found in houseplants. Some of these survive plant saps, and some directly attack the leaves and stems of your plants. You need to keep an eye on your houseplants through regular inspections. Here are some common pests found on houseplants, along with their attacking nature:

Aphids

Aphids are tiny insects commonly found in small Plants. They cause problems for indoor plants because of their sap-sucking behavior. The main problem with aphids is that they can reproduce quickly because females give birth instead of laying eggs to stay young.

When plants are outdoors, natural predators like ladybird beetles and lacewings help them control the population of aphids. However, you need to apply insecticidal soaps or horticultural oils to the Plant for Indoors to manage the population of aphids.

Whiteflies

Whiteflies are also a concern for your indoor plants. They are small insects that you can usually find in new growths and undersides of leaves of your houseplants. They suck plant juices and leave honeydew on the plants that can attract ants. It can make your plants weaker and cause diseases like sooty mold.

Caterpillars

Caterpillars are the larval stage of butterflies and can cause problems for your houseplants. They use their chewing mouthparts to feed on leaves, buds, and flowers of household plants. They damage the plants by sucking their materials and making them weaker and susceptible to diseases.

Mealybugs

Mealybugs are pink, but their bodies are covered with white and waxy materials. They are common pests and can harm your indoor plants by sucking their sap. When mealybugs feed on plants, they make them weaker and cause the leaves to turn yellow, wilt, and even fall off. Additionally, it can be difficult to find them because they hide in leaf folds and stem crevices.

Thrips

Thrips are small insects and can be of various colors, such as yellow, brown, and black. Their size varies from 0.02 to 0.04 inches, which makes it difficult to find them on plants. Their mouthparts help them pierce and suck the juices of plants which make them weaker. Thrips can also make your indoor plants look dull and dusty.

Know About Diseases That Can Afflict Your Houseplants

Your houseplants are susceptible to various diseases that can affect their health and appearance. Diseases like root rot and powdery meadow are some of the common ones that affect most plants. These diseases are easily noticeable on your plants and can look like yellow patches, white powdery formation, or rapid decomposition of leaves. Here are certain diseases affecting your houseplants and tips to prevent them.

Root Rot

Root rot is a common disease that can afflict your houseplants. It happens due to two reasons: overwatering and the presence of fungi, like pythium and phytophthora, in the soil. If you notice that your plant is not growing as it should have and leaves are turning yellow or brown, it can be a sign of root rot. You water your houseplants when the soil is dry to prevent root rot.

Botrytis Blight

Botrytis blight, also known as gray mold, is a fungal disease that can harm indoor plants. If your houseplant is suffering from this disease, you can see dusty gray spores that can quickly spread and cause discoloration and wilting on flowers and leaves. You should manage the humidity of the surroundings and keep your plants apart for better air circulation. You should also water your houseplants early in the day to manage botrytis blight.

Leaf Spots

Leaf spots on your houseplants can be a sign of fungal diseases. These spots can appear in different colors, such as white, yellow, black, and brown. Different colors of leaf spots can be caused by different diseases. For example, white spots can indicate powdery mildew and yellow spots can indicate downy mildew. You should keep your houseplants away from equipment that can discolor leaves and water the soil instead of leaves to prevent leaf spots.

Powdery Mildew

Powdery mildew is a common disease that can affect your houseplant’s growth and appearance. When you notice a white and powdery coating on leaves, buds, and flowers, it can be a sign of powdery mildew. It is caused by fungi and spreads through tiny spores that do not need water to grow. You should remove the infected parts of your houseplants and improve the air quality of the surroundings to prevent powdery mildew.

Sooty Mold

Sooty mold is also a common houseplant disease that can be caused by pests like aphids, mealybugs, and whiteflies. These insects produce honeydew on plants, and the sooty mold fungus feeds on this honeydew, which creates a black and sticky layer on leaves and stems.

Even though it doesn’t affect your houseplants directly, it can block light and reduce photosynthesis, which can affect their growth. You can wipe the affected leaves and stems with a damp cloth or a soap and water solution to remove sooty molds, but you need to get rid of the insects to treat them permanently.

Effective Tips To Control Insect Pests And Diseases In Your Indoor Plants

When you Buy Indoor Houseplants, it requires utmost care to keep them healthy. However, you can control pests and diseases in your houseplants with some simple techniques. Here are some effective tips that you can apply to all houseplants to keep them healthy.

When you bring a new houseplant, check it properly, including the container, for signs of pests.

Isolate new houseplants for at least two weeks to prevent others if they are suffering from diseases.

Know how much water your specific houseplant needs and avoid overwatering.

Avoid watering the leaves; instead, water the soil on the base.

Fertilize at regular intervals for proper growth.

Keep a sufficient distance between your houseplants and improve the air quality of the surroundings.

Keep the container of the houseplants clean and remove dead leaves, stems, or flowers from the soil.

Wash the leaves of your houseplants with a damp cloth or soap and water solution.

Trim dead branches and stems and take your houseplants outdoors for these purposes.

How Do You Keep Your Plant Healthy Without Using Chemical Pesticides?

You can keep your houseplants healthy without using chemical pesticides. Follow these tips to manage your indoor plants with a holistic approach.

Cut off and discard any part of your houseplants that shows signs of pests.

Spray your houseplants with water on all surfaces to remove pests.

Spray your houseplants with insecticidal soap on all surfaces.

Rub alcohol on a cotton swab to wipe off pests from the leaves and stems of your houseplants.

Regularly inspect your houseplants to catch problems and seek treatment on time if needed.

Final Words

Indoor plants are a great option to improve the air of your surroundings and the aesthetics of your house. They can improve your concentration and can help you manage your stress as well. However, if you don’t take care of them, they can be attracted by some insects and suffer from various diseases. We have explained the most common pests and diseases that you should be aware of to manage your houseplants. If you notice pests and diseases in your houseplants, take the necessary steps to treat them. Also, water your houseplants on the soil, keep one away from the other, and improve the air quality of the surroundings to prevent pests and diseases and keep them healthy and beautiful.