3 Natural Pesticides for Indoor Plants — Plant Care Tips and More · La Résidence (2024)

FAQs

3 Natural Pesticides for Indoor Plants — Plant Care Tips and More · La Résidence? ›

Oil Spray

Mix 1 cup of vegetable oil with 1 tablespoon of mild liquid soap. Add 2-8 teaspoons of this mixture to 1 quart of water and spray your plants as above. The oil in this spray smothers the insects, so it is effective on aphids, thrips, mites, and scale.

Oil Spray

Mix 1 cup of vegetable oil with 1 tablespoon of mild liquid soap. Add 2-8 teaspoons of this mixture to 1 quart of water and spray your plants as above. The oil in this spray smothers the insects, so it is effective on aphids, thrips, mites, and scale.

Vinegar is acidic, and in high concentrations it can be harmful to plants. Spraying vinegar on leaves can cause leaf damage, yellowing, and wilting. It can also affect the soil pH, making it too acidic for some plants to grow properly.

Yes, it can kill weeds, but it can also harm other things in your garden as well. Dish soap and vinegar sprays also have a tendency only to kill the leaves, not the root. So, the plant will likely return after spraying it. Instead, use vinegar as a bleach alternative for cleaning the house.

Take a bottle and combine 1 ounce of apple cider vinegar with 3 ounces of water and mix it together. You can spray this on your plants to keep the aphids off them, although some plants don't like the acidic nature of apple cider vinegar. It could end up hurting your plants if you spray too much or spray too often.

Other claims around using baking soda for plants and gardens include boosting blooms, killing weeds, and controlling insect pests. None of these are scientifically backed and aren't effective ways of achieving any of these aims.

Essential Oils- Acts as a pest repellent. Mix a generous amount of Rosemary, Clove, Peppermint, & Thieves. Dish Soap/ Castile soap- Acts as an emulsifier for your spray. Mix 2.5 tbsp to 1 gallon of water You can combine everything in 1 gallon of water, or mix and match.

Some gardeners purchase ready-to-use insecticidal soaps while others will make their own solutions using dish soap and water. If you are in the latter group, aim for a 2% soap solution: add just 2 teaspoons of dish soap to 1 pint of water.

How do you make homemade bug spray for plants? ›

For example, one popular mix involves combining equal parts of water and witch hazel with 10 drops of lavender essential oil and 5 drops each of eucalyptus and citronella oils. Lavender and citronella are known for their insect-repellent properties, while eucalyptus can deter certain pests like mosquitoes.

You can also use a pressurized sprayer to apply water to leaf surfaces. For small specimens, consider dunking the entire plant into a 5-gallon bucket of water for 15 minutes. This will cause insects on leaves or in soil to flee. Add a few drops of liquid dish or hand soap to the water as a further deterrent to insects.

One of the reasons cinnamon is so effective against bugs is because it contains an aromatic compound known as eugenol that's also found in most insect repellants. Eugenol is very powerful and effective in killing insects through targeting the nervous system.

Bugs in Soil – To get rid of bugs living and breeding in the soil of an indoor plant, first remove the top layer of soil in the pot and throw it out. Replace the missing soil with fresh soil and drench the soil with a mix of 10 drops of liquid dish soap in a quart of water.

Protect plants with barriers

Floating row covers, which are water-porous, light-weight, polyester blankets that can be draped over plants, are one of the best defenses for keeping flying pests from eating leaves or laying eggs on plants.

Mix 1 cup of rubbing alcohol with 1 quart (32oz) of water. Pour the solution in the spray bottle or straight rubbing alcohol for thicker, hardier leaves. Step 3: Spray the whole plant, not only where mealybugs are visible.

A good place to start is a mix of mild liquid soap and water, sprayed onto houseplants. One teaspoon of soap per litre of water will do the job. It sounds simple, but this formula will treat a lot of common houseplant pests. Add just a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and it becomes a great fungicide as well.

Some experts recommend bathing or soaking plants in a bucket of water with mild dishwashing soap before bringing them inside. If your plants are too big for the bucket treatment, spray them with water to remove outdoor dust and soft-bodied insects from the leaves.

Vinegar and water sprayed on plants in equal parts is another natural insecticide that works well. Natural pesticides like neem oil are beneficial for indoor plants. It can be sprayed on plants after being diluted with water.