I'm curious about how everyone takes care of their plants to prevent pests. How often do you do preventative treatments, and what products do you use? I'm currently dealing with spider mites for the first time in my collection, and I realize that my previous method of just wiping down the plants occasionally wasn't enough. What do you recommend for keeping pests at bay?
3 Answers
I use systemic pesticide every four months and apply seaweed tonic every three months to keep my plants thriving. Healthy plants are less likely to face pest infestations!
Avoid using systemics or any pesticides continuously for prevention—it's not great for the plants or the bugs, as it can lead to resistance. I usually check new plants for pests before buying and quarantined them for a few weeks. Also, keeping plants healthy helps since pest problems often arise from stressed plants.
I definitely check and quarantine new plants too! My spider mite surprise came out of nowhere.
I swear by SB Invigorator for preventative care! It's handy for spider mites too. I also whip up a homemade spray with rubbing alcohol, horticultural soap, and water. I shower my plants once a month since wiping them down seems like too much work! I reserve the strong pesticides for thrips or mealybugs since they don’t really help with spider mites.
Good to know! I’ll definitely consider using systemic pesticide more regularly.