Are your green plants looking gray? Take a look before you throw in the towel. Identifying their illness can make it easy to treat them.
Having a green thumb requires a little observation, and also accepting a few failures. Between those who water too much, those who do not water enough, the one who gave names to all his plants and the experts who deal cuttings with all their hands, there is you, whose Monstera preciously given by your colleague seems want to stop living. Luckily, it might not be that bad, Doctor. As the first step in bringing the precious plant back into line, start by respecting the watering rate and the recommended exposure. A plant needs a certain type of sunlight and temperature. Also avoid putting them behind glass, where the sun will scorch its leaves. Also remember to repot them according to the rules. Then observe the foliage up close. This is where you will be able to detect the reasons for the wasting of your protege.
Read also: Indoor plants: the 6 most common mistakes to avoid
“My plant is full of little white flies”
These little white flies that fly away when you approach can be whiteflies. They invade the underside of plant leaves and hate humidity and coolness. To get rid of it, you can maintain a sufficiently humid and ventilated atmosphere. Spray the leaves with a soapy solution based on liquid black soap with a little vegetable oil, or water with washing up liquid (a few drops in 10 liters of water).
Be careful, if the insects are black, they can also be soil midges, or sciarids. They, on the contrary, love humidity. In this case, try not to overwater your plants. Also empty the water retained in the saucers. Another tip so that insects do not come to lay eggs in your plants and invade you with larvae: a light mulch of small pebbles or sand.
Read also: Natural fly repellent: the best tips to get rid of flies
“My plant is full of white spots”
If they are mealy in appearance, they are certainly due to an invasion of cochineals, small insects. You can get rid of it by applying black soap to your plant.
If it’s white felting on one or more parts of the plant, it may be powdery mildew, a fungus. How to get him to leave? Eliminate the affected leaves, prune the plant to aerate its foliage and avoid watering the leaves.
Read also: Outdoor plants in pots: the 7 most common mistakes to avoid
“My plant has distorted leaves”
More common on outdoor plants, deformed leaves can be a sign of the presence of aphids. You will see these little green insects when you look at the underside of your plant’s leaves. To dislodge them, the black soap on the leaves is your ally. You can also buy ladybugs, which are fond of and eat aphids.
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To discover other practical sheets on how to take care of your plants, you can take a tour of the very well done site of nurseries of the Val d’Erdre. And, when you want to get a houseplant, consider buying it from an independent florist near you, asking for a plant that comes from France preferably. If you live near Lyon, you can finally go to the Society for the Protection of Plants, which reshapes “abused” plants. It also proposes to recycle plants produced in too large quantities and to reduce the ecological impact due to botanical methods.
Missions: Mathilde is an expert in subjects related to women’s rights and health. Addicted to Instagram and Twitter, never stingy with a good …