The garden is one of those outdoor spaces where one can meditate, tend to beautiful plants, and ensure they’re healthy.
But once you start noticing yellowing leaves with tiny holes, you know it’s time to give your plants some serious attention.
From the right lighting conditions to adequate fertilizer, checking for pests is just as important as any other step in gardening.
Let’s take a deeper look at the different plant pests commonly found in home gardens.
Aphids
Aphids or green flies are usually found on the spots with new plant growth, like the tips, leaves, or flowers, but they can also attack any part of the plant. These tiny sucking insects belong to the insect family called Aphididae, which includes around 5,000 types of different species.
Fully developed aphids have pear-shaped bodies and cause damage to plants by sucking on the sap from areas of new growth. Once the infestation gets very bad, the plant might drop leaves or grow mold and fungus.
Treatment: spray your plant with warm soapy water or use your fingers to squash the pests. If you’re using the soapy water method, let your plant stay drenched for five minutes before rinsing it off.
Spider Mites
A spider mite infestation can seem like a nightmare since they’re barely visible and can seem very hard to get rid of.
You can check if your plant has spider mites by peeking at the underside of the leaf of your plant. If you notice a development of fine silky webbing, you might have spider mites.
Spider mites usually start attacking the plant by sucking on the sap until the leaves look stippled and dry. Spider mites also like to suck chlorophyll which can cause small white spots on the plant leaves.
Treatment: Spider mites do not like water or humid conditions. Try spraying your plants with water every week and mist them daily to increase humidity.
Mealybugs
Mealybugs resemble furry white woodlice and are related to scale insects. Mealybugs can form a cluster on the underside of the leaves and might appear like a little cotton wool but can leave your plant looking yellow and lifeless.
Treatment: You can use water and organic neem oil to spray the affected area until the mealy bugs die off.
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