You are very sure you made your plants get their access to enough light and water. But something just does not seem right with your plant, it seems a bit… flimsy and barely alive, somehow. There are webs forming around the leaves, bugs crawling, and there are white spots on the mixing soil and leaves. What is happening? Your plant may be infested with bugs and/or mould.
Lively plants are closely monitored before delivery to ensure they are bug-free and mold-free, so you shouldn’t see any pests on new plants. But it is always important to check on your plants’ health from time to time as you water. It is better to spot them on the earlier stage as it will help avoid an unwanted loss of your plants.
Here’s what to do with the unwelcome guests:
What to do with mould on your plants’ mixing soil
- When you spot mould on your plants’ soil and/or fully grown mushroom, it is a sign that your plant is being overwatered, not being drained well and being in a moist environment
- Take out the mould off the mixing soil and replace the top of the soil with new mixing soil (that you can purchase from us!)
- Make sure that next time your soil gets a chance to dry out. Drain well between waterings to prevent any new mould from forming
- It won’t be safe to leave the mould or grown mushroom grow on your potted plants, as it might be eaten by curious pets and/or children
What to do with bugs on your plants
- Isolate your bug-infested plant from the rest of your plant collection. This way you are able to prevent the infestation from spreading
- If you see any bugs, wipe the area where they are gathered together with a piece of cloth or tissue. There are some bugs that won’t budge off, so you can scrape with a toothbrush. Make sure all the eggs are removed as well. Bugs are not a sign of poor plant care and most likely they won’t harm you. They are just finding a place for home and food sources that’s why they land on your plant.
- Wash the plants with water to ensure the bugs have left the plants
- To prevent the bugs from coming back, there are ways to make your plants bug free. There are plenty of artificial chemicals and natural chemicals accessible. These are a few of our favourite treatments that we do recommend, we prefer natural chemicals as much as possible:
- Neem oil, despite the awful smell, effectively destroys infestations and is completely harmless to humans and pets. The ratio to make natural pesticide is 5ml of neem oil, 2ml of liquid soap and 1l of water
- Neem oil may be on the pricier range, so you can make your own DIY at home. Combination of crushed chilli, garlic, a little bit of soap and water would do the trick. The ratio is 5-7 crushed chilli, 3 cloves of garlic, 2ml of liquid soap 1l of water