I'm a complete newbie to gardening and I'm growing some potted plants in my apartment, including tomatoes, kale, mini bell peppers, sage, and rosemary. I live in mid-Michigan, and the season is winding down, but my tomatoes and herbs are still producing. I've noticed a few bugs like spiders, ants, and flies around my plants, but I have two cats that I need to consider when choosing any pesticides. Can anyone recommend safe options that won't harm my cats and will eventually wear off?
2 Answers
Honestly, spiders and ants usually won't do any real harm to your plants, unless the ants start farming aphids. Flies can even help with pollination at times! If your plants aren't getting eaten, don't stress too much about it. I'm more worried about bugs in the house than on my plants. Just make sure to monitor, and you might be fine without any pesticides at all. You can also try keeping things clean around the pots to avoid attracting bugs inside.
Most pests won't harm your potted plants too much. If you ever spot serious offenders like a tomato hornworm, just pick it off. For kale, I usually just remove any cabbage moth eggs I see. As for insects on herbs, I've never had real problems. If anything does appear, a gentle spray of water mixed with a little dish soap works wonders. For a small garden like yours, pesticides might be more than you need!
Exactly! If you're just trying to keep bugs out of your apartment, focus on keeping the area around your plants tidy. I've had good luck just spraying the plants lightly with water to detach any small pests.