Prevent and Treat Sanitation Problems in Your Houseplants

Clean plants are healthy plants. Since dirt provides a breeding ground for bacteria, you should clean your plants regularly by wiping leaves with a damp cloth.

Most plants also benefit from an occasional shower in your sink or tub (the exception is hairy, leaved plants, such as African violets). You also should remove any dead, brown leaves or blossoms which could encourage disease or pests.

Getting Rid of Disease

Rusts, mold, mildew, and other diseases usually show up as spotting or discoloration on leaves. Some diseases that attack houseplants are incurable. In that event, the plant is lost.

Other diseases are curable and can be treated in a variety of ways. Consult an expert or check a plant book to diagnose your plant's illness and the proper treatment. Start by removing the diseased sections of the plant and isolating it so the disease will not infest other plants.

Getting Rid of Pests

White flies, aphids, mealy bugs, and scale insects are the most common insect pests which attack plants. These pests attach themselves to the plants and are fairly easy to detect.

White flies are little white-winged insects which leave a sticky white residue on the plant. Aphids, tiny green insects, also excrete a sticky trail on plants and cause deformities where they attack new growth. Mealy bugs are small white insects which hide and congregate under leaves or any place where they are protected. The scale insects can be white or red and they also leave a sticky substance as a calling card.

Insect infestation should not be allowed to continue once it has been discovered. The sticky residue these pests leave can easily turn into a disease which will be harder to control. Most of these pests can be removed by washing the plant.

To kill mealy bugs and scale insects, touch a cotton ball moistened with alcohol to the pests. If the pests persist after these treatments, try spraying with an insecticide. However, before using an insecticide, find out what types of chemicals your plant will tolerate. And follow the directions on any insecticide product carefully.