Diseases and pests in houseplants

Of course you take good care of your plant. A healthy plant is a happy plant! Unfortunately it can happen that your plant gets sick. Fungi, plant diseases or pests can get to the plant unnoticed and cause (serious) damage. Often you will notice that something is wrong with your plant: the leaves will turn brown, curl or fall off completely. The growth can also stop and the plant can stop flowering. In short, your plant looks a little glum. Sometimes you can see diseases and pests on houseplants with the bare eye, such as white or brown dots, flies or fungi on the leaf. Fortunately, most pests are easy to control and prevent.

Cause of diseases and pests

Unfortunately, any green friend can suffer from a nasty pest, disease or mold. Especially houseplants that do not receive the proper care or are placed in the wrong location are susceptible to diseases and pests. A distinction is made between plant diseases and pests. You speak of a pest when you suffer from vermin, while a disease is caused by fungi, viruses or bacteria. Depending on the pest, there is a treatment plan that will help you save your plant. Generally, one of the biggest causes is drafts. Is your plant next to an open door or window? Small critters, such as spider mites or fungus gnats, can easily get through the screens of open doors or windows and infest your plants. Your four-legged friend can also unnoticeably carry all kinds of critters inside that make your plants sick. Some insect pests lay their eggs in the ground. It is not uncommon to see insects such as mourning flies flying around the bags of potting soil at the garden center, so chances are there is already an infestation hiding in this soil. PLNTS' potting soil has been properly checked for this! Another common source of pests for houseplants is a new plant. Wherever you buy the plant, make sure you inspect it properly before taking it home. This also applies to a bouquet of cut flowers. They may be carriers of houseplant pests!

Treating diseases and pests

Do you suspect your plant is suffering from a plant disease or pest infestation? Then it is often super important to take action right away. In any case, put your plant separate from other plants. This will prevent the possible disease or plague from spreading to other plants!

Check out the different types of diseases and plagues below and read all about the cause of the plague and how to treat it.

Check our PLNTSdoctor video!

In this video, our PLNTSdoctor will tell you everything about the most common pests on houseplants, how to identify them and, most importantly, how to get rid of them. It’s a bit of an itchy subject, but super important if you want to save your plants from these little predators!