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This might be an incredibly dumb question, but why don’t people use… | Pests, diseases and problems | Planta-community

Jo

This might be an incredibly dumb question, but why don’t people use regular insect spray on their plants? Is there a problem using it on indoor potted plants? I’m new to plant parenthood, so this is a dumb (but genuine) question 😆

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5 reacties

  1. Josie's Jungle

    Not a dumb question! Common insecticides will ☠️ or damage a lot of things in their path. Most likely they'd cause burns to the leaves, destroy the plant tissues or affect how the plant breathes wherever it makes contact. Even plant insecticides or insecticidal soap can cause a lot of damage if not applied correctly. That's why many people seek natural alternatives such as neem oil, or applications that are less harmful like diluted hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol to spot treat. Hang out in the forums and you'll get the best advice about bug treatments. ☺️ Good luck on your plant journey!

    3 likes
    • Jo

      Ahh, thanks Josie! I figured there’d be a reason! Would people ever do this is they had a really really bad infestation? Just seems like I read a lot of stories of people fighting pests for months and months on end!

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  2. Josie's Jungle

    Unfortunately plants are pretty delicate structures, and some are complete drama queens. They may survive, but you never know how they'll react to being covered in poison meant for bugs. There are effective ways without going nuclear, and much safer around living creators we like. They do take a bit of time and patience but it's possible. I had a fungus gnat infestation and it took about 2 months to eradicate them with a 3 prong attack of watering with mosquito bits, using yellow sticky traps, and adding beneficial nemotodes. It's a "know thy enemy" scenario - if you know the most effective ways of disrupting the life cycle of the insects you're targeting, it just takes time and some spot treatments. The other nuclear option is just tossing the source plant if it's the only one that's infested. Been there, sacrificed that plant. 🗑️♻️😄

    1 like
    • Jo

      Yeah that totally makes a lot of sense. I also had a fungus gnat problem and fixed it without the nuclear option - which I can totally understand is preferable. I’d be so sad to have to toss a beloved plant, but I guess it’s better than keeping it and having it destroy all your other plants slowly. I really appreciate all your advice! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my silly newbie questions 😆

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    • Josie's Jungle

      I was in your shoes once too - I can totally relate! 🥰 And the times I've gone to the task bin option, if it was feasible I did take cuttings and made sure they were clear to propagate pest free so it wasn't a total loss!

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