Organic Solutions to Common Plant Problems – Effective Fixes for Mealybugs and More

Organic Solutions to Common Plant Problems – Effective Fixes for Mealybugs and More

Insects and mites can be a common problem for indoor plants, as many seasoned plant enthusiasts know. Sometimes you think you’re doing everything right for a beloved plant, but it ends up with insects or mold. Even plant experts like us aren’t immune to such problems! One of our office plants had some mealybug trouble recently.

Mealybugs, like the ones seen here, can show up on most houseplants. These tiny wingless insects suck the sap from plants and cause buildups of distinct white cottony masses, and their waste products can promote the growth of mold. They can build up fairly quickly and can be very unsightly. Fortunately, the Arborjet solutions are quick, easy, and safe to use indoors around kids and pets.

We gave the plant a quick treatment of AzaSol and Eco-1. Both are organic products derived from natural plant extracts and designed to fight plant pests. AzaSol is a powder that contains azadirachtin, a chemical derived from the neem tree. It serves as a powerful insect growth regulator, and when mixed with water it can be absorbed by the plant’s roots as a systemic, providing holistic protection. Eco-1 is derived from plant oils, such as linseed, thyme, and peppermint. It works as a knockdown to get rid of insect pests and smothers them, and it smells great as well! The office was awash in a minty fresh scent for hours after application.

 

Together these two products are incredibly effective against insects and mites. They also work against fungus like powdery mildew and rust, as well as insect pests like thrips, whiteflies, and aphids. And you can use them on edible plants and fruits and vegetables too!

 

We started with AzaSol, mixing one teaspoon in a gallon of water and giving the soil a good drench. When the plant takes up the neem solution, it’ll be better protected against future infestations.

Then the leaves and other problem spots with mealybugs got sprayed with Eco-1. We ensured the top and underside of each leaf got sprayed, as well as the stems, to make sure there were no bare spots.

 

Eco-1 in spray and bottle form, ready to use.

Three weeks later, we inspected the plant to see how it was doing and if there were any remaining mealy bugs. A few had returned, but it was in much better shape than before. Another quick treatment of AzaSol in the soil and some Eco-1 on the leaves took care of that. We’ll check again in a week, but for now the plant is doing much better. All it took was an infusion of some organic Arborjet products.

Good as new!

It’s that easy, and you can do it at home too!