Growers – Troubleshooting Your Houseplant for Pests, Diseases and Environmental Issues

Growers will rarely spend a lot of time explaining the dos and don’ts of the houseplant you want to buy. Most of them assume that you have done your due diligence and know what your target plant will need. If you are new to houseplants, it is good to spend some time understanding the indoor issues that will affect your houseplant. The purpose of this post is to take a look at the main issues you should keep an eye on when troubleshooting your plant.

Environmental issues
The main issues that affect plants like dracaena are the environmental problems. If your houseplant has some unexplainable problems, you should start by checking the following.

  • Sunlight

Light problems are the main causes of plant problems. When the room doesn’t get sufficient sunlight, the plant will tend to appear long and spindly. A flowering plant may also fail to bloom due to the lack of sunlight. The solution here is to move the plant to an area that receives more sunlight. You may also notice the leaves turning brownish with scorched tips. This happens when the light is too much. You should move the plant to a less intensely lit area.

  • Temperature

Most of the indoor plants you purchase from wholesale nurseries are tropical plants. Temperatures that are too low or too high may affect the plants. The plants will also need higher humidity levels in the house.

  • Water

How much water you give your plant and how often you water the plant will affect it. Overwatering will cause the plant to fail because the roots will drown. Under-watering will cause the plant to wither and subsequently dry up. You should consult the interiorscaper suppliers to understand the watering needs of your plant.

Houseplant disease
In addition to the three environmental problems, your houseplant may be failing because of diseases. When you don’t take good care of your plant, its health will decline and it will be more prone to diseases. There are three main diseases you should keep a keen eye on:

  • Anthracnose. This is a fungal disease that makes the tips of the leaves to turn yellow and brown.
  • Various bacterial and fungal diseases. These are mostly indicated by black dots o water-soaked areas.
  • Moisture-related diseases. These include powdery mildew. These indicate poor air circulation around the houseplant.

Pests
When picking out potted plants from plantscaper suppliers, you must be prepared to deal with pests. There are so many pests that affect houseplants but the pest you end up dealing with will depend on where you live and the care you give to your plant. The main pests you should expect are the spider mites, mealy-bugs, scale, aphids, whiteflies and fungus gnats.

The three are the main methods you should use when troubleshooting your houseplant. To avoid most of these problems, you need to order a plant that you can easily care for and one that fits in your home or office. You should also stick with growers that are known for supplying healthy plants.

Growers