Pests and diseases of Houseplants
Pests and diseases need cause little worry or trouble to the enthusiastic and skilled house plant grower, for the better his plants are grown the fewer attacks he will have. Insects and sickness always seem to go for plants that are weakly already, so grow strong and healthy plants and you should have no trouble.
If mottled and twisted shoots are seen, examine them closely and if greenfly are seen look also at neighbouring plants first to make quite sure that the infestation has not already spread to them.
The commercial grower also has facilities and chemicals which we cannot possibly have or use on our own homes. He can spray with insecticides far too toxic for us to use. For these reasons it is seldom that we bring pests or diseases into our homes from newly purchased or newly received plants. It is far more likely that if they appear they are the result of our own carelessness or lack of attention to good cultivation.
The same insecticides as used against aphids can be used here, but make quite sure that every part of the plant is soaked in the spray, and again, that it is applied out of doors.
This gives a guarantee of safety for this period. But as I have said, these systemics are too dangerous to be used indoors, particularly if children or pets are about. Use them out of doors and allow the plant to dry out completely after its spray before bringing it back into the home again.
Hold the plant with the fingers over the top of the pot, turn it upside down and dip the whole of the foliage in the solution. This will ensure that every part is covered and protected. Let the leaves dry out before replacing the plant indoors.
