Indoor gardening pests can come along to upset the apple-cart at any time. It’s important to know how to respond should you start seeing pests. I prefer natural pest control methods to chemicals, so that’s what I’ve put together on this page.
Common Pests
The most common indoor garden pests that you will come across are:
- Aphids
- Spider mites
- Mealybugs
- Whitefly
- Scale insects
- Soil insects
- Thrips
Prevention is better than cure
Companion planting is a good way to keep pests away from your plants. This involves having plants that repel pests near the ones that are vulnerable.
| This plant | Repels these pests |
|---|---|
| Garlic | Japanese beetles and aphids. You can make a garlic/oil spray to spray on plants to repel pests. |
| Calendula | Several above and below ground pests |
| Mint | Aphids and flea beetles |
| Lavender | Moths |
Other Prevention Tips
- Use clean pots and containers when planting new plants
- Don’t use old potting soil. Use new soil that is fresh. Don’t soil from an outside garden.
- When you buy a new plant, isolate it from other plants for a month or so. This gives you time to monitor it before it’s able to infect your other plants.
- Make sure dry, dead leaves and flowers are removed as soon as you notice them.
- It’s a good idea to look at your plants often with a magnifying glass to look for anything suspicious. If you see something, treat with a soap-water insecticide immediately.
- Daily maintenance of your plants is important. Pick bugs off by hand that you see on your plants.
Home-made Natural Insecticides
Should you find pests on your houseplants, it’s important to react quickly and deal with them daily until they are gone.
Below are some homemade recipes for dealing with garden pests. If you’re not keen on making your own pesticide, Orange Guard is a an organic pest control product that works on a number of bugs.
Canola Soap Spray
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- A few drops of liquid soap
- 1l (around a quart) of water
Method
Mix ingredients, shake well.
Used for
Effective against soft-bodied insects such as aphids, mealybugs and mites. Spray on tops and bottoms of leaves to get full coverage of the plant.
Garlic/Oil Spray
Ingredients
- 3 cloves of crushed garlic
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp liquid soap
- 1l (around a quart) of water
Method
Mix the garlic in the vegetable oil. Leave this mixture for around 8-10 hours. Strain and add the liquid to the water and mix in the liquid soap.
Use for
Repelling insects, fungus and bacteria. Spray regularly.
Whatever method or product you decide to use, make sure that you attend to your pest problem daily and monitor it closely. Good luck!