While gnats may seem to be only a nuisance they can seriously damage a plant’s structure if they are left unopposed. It is important to keep in mind that gnats are drawn to houseplants that are over watered and left damp. Along with to much water decaying plant debris can serve as another attraction to Continue Reading …
Plant Diseases and Pests
Managing Gnats in Houseplants
While many people view gnats as only a nuisance and an eye sore real gardeners understand the risks that a gnat infestation can cause. There are many houseplants that are susceptible to attack by many insects and mite pests. Some of these houseplant pests(including gnats) can cause extensive damage to the appearance and health of Continue Reading …
How to Remove Gnats from Houseplants
You may have recently purchased some beautiful houseplants, set them out in your home or office and got ready to sit back and enjoy them when suddenly you notice what seems like millions of gnats crawling out of the soil and flying everywhere. While you may want to recoil in horrified disgust and simply throw Continue Reading …
How to Get Rid of Gnats
Many gardeners will tell you that of all the flying pests, gnats might be the most annoying. Though they are harmless, these little pests hover and buzz around our heads, driving us crazy. Gnats are also known as vinegar flies or fruit flies because of their intense attraction to the smell of rotten food. This Continue Reading …
Gnats in Houseplants
A common problem that many gardeners face with their houseplants is an infestation of gnats. Generally these small pests are known as Fungus gnats. Fungus gnats are small, dark colored flies that jump and fly across the soil surface. The adult gnats are commonly seen as they collect around windows. Fungus gnats can create a Continue Reading …
Symptoms: Probable Cause
Leaves dropping: The most frequent cause of defoliation is gas poisoning. The gas leak affecting the plant may be so small you won’t detect it, but it can still be enough to kill your plants. Occasionally plants will lose their leaves as the result of the shock of being moved from one environment to another, Continue Reading …
Scale Insects
Scale insects come in all varieties of shapes, round, oval or oyster-shaped, and are dark brown or black. They are readily identified, however, by the fact that adults of the species cannot move and they affix themselves tenaciously to the plant and refuse to budge. They most often attack ferns, palms, ivy, rubber plants and Continue Reading …
Insect Pests
There are five primary groups of insects which attack house plants in varying degree of intensity. Aphids, otherwise known by the unhappy name of plant lice, are small, soft-bodied sucking insects which are usually found on the underside of the leaves. They vary in color from green to brown or black and are sometimes difficult Continue Reading …
Diseases
In the chapter on plant propagation we mentioned that seedling are often attacked by a disease known as “damping off.” As we said there, the use of a sterilized starting mixture has cut down the chances of this fungus affecting the seedlings grown in it. If, however, any of your seedlings are so affected, the Continue Reading …
Pests
For the average home gardener insect pests and plant diseases are not particularly pressing problems. In nine out of every ten cases plant failure can be traced not to an invading horde of hungry insects or a mysterious mold or blight but rather to those greatest enemies of house plants, neglect and improper living conditions. Continue Reading …