It’s time time of year when pests can dampen all your fantastic gardening efforts! Here are our top tips for keeping pests on indoor and outdoor plants in check this summer!
OUTDOOR PLANTS
If you’re looking for an environmentally friendly approach for dealing with your pest problems, check out our green solutions and prevention methods below.
Green Pest Control Solutions
A natural approach to keeping pests away is the use of strong-smelling plants, like garlic, onions, chives and scallions. A simple home remedy of crushed garlic cloves mixed with water in a spray bottle can be used to spray your indoor and outdoor plants. The pungent smell deters pests like aphids and rodents from entering your garden. Ladybirds can also help with your garden clean-up by eating away your unhealthy bug problem for you. For slug onslaughts, you can trap them with a shallow container filled with beer. Snails and slugs will be attracted to the smell and find a way to crawl in, but then they get stuck and you can toss them out all at once.
Plant Pest Control Prevention Methods
You can use pesticides and other spot treatments to kill a pest problem that already exists. Start by doing a clean-up of your garden. Insects like hiding out in weeds and any other places that provide easy cover. This includes high grasses – so remember to regularly mow your lawn. Once you remove these hiding spots, you will hopefully force any unwanted garden visitors to seek other easy hiding places outside of your garden. Remember to feed your plants as well to keep them healthy and strong.
INDOOR PLANTS
Methods you can use to Control Houseplant Pests
Syringing plants. Many household plant pests can be controlled, at least in part, by washing the plant periodically with a vigorous jet of water. This is particularly effective for spider mites and aphids, which are most readily dislodged.
Handpicking. Larger houseplant insects can be controlled by handpicking. This is especially useful for scale insects and mealybugs.
Sanitation. Seriously infested plants are often best discarded because they usually require lengthy and extraordinary efforts to control the pests.
Indoor houseplant insecticide, preferably systemic. Follow the instructions on whatever product you have and again don’t forget to feed your house plants to keep them healthy and strong!
Drop in to get any further advice you might need!
Best wishes,
The Powerscourt Garden Pavilion Team
Powerscourt Garden Pavilion 