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216. GARDENING INDOOR TIP Article
GARDENING INDOOR TIP
from:Pests and diseases are as much a threat to indoor plants as they are to outdoor plants, so an excellent gardening indoor tip is one that tells you how to prevent the problems they cause, or rectify them should they occur.
The number one gardening indoor tip is to inspect plants before you buy them and take them home. Your new plants should be free of pests and disease. Even if your new plants appear to be clean and healthy, when you get them home, quarantine them from your other plants for about forty days. You can put them in a separate room, or put them in sealed plastic bags, with adequate water and light. If a new plant proves to have pests or disease, you can throw it away or treat it until the problem is gone. This gardening indoor tip also applies to any of your older plants that show symptoms of pests or disease or appear to be weak.
The next gardening indoor tip is to keep open doors and windows screened during spring, summer and early autumn. This will help prevent insects and spores from coming into your home. You can buy special anti-insect screens from greenhouse suppliers.
If you have been working in your outdoor garden, do not immediately go to your indoor plants when you go inside. You could be carrying pests or spores. Have a shower and change your clothes. Do not use the same gardening tools for your indoor plants that you use for outdoor plants.
Another important gardening indoor tip is to keep your plants clean and remove all dead or yellowing leaves and flowers. This helps to keep your plants healthy. Strong, healthy plants produce chemicals that make their leaves unpalatable to pests.
Wash your plants under the shower or with some spraying device every few months to get rid of dust and general household grime. This will also remove hidden spores and pests. Do the washing early in the morning so the plants have the whole day to dry off before nightfall.
At a garden center or nursery you can buy sticky traps (not the same as pest strips) that you can hang in the same room as your plants. If the sticky traps catch insects, search your plants to determine which ones are hosting the pests. Separate those plants from the others so the infestation does not spread while you deal with it.
The last gardening indoor tip is a simple one. Give your plants consistent good care with sufficient light, water and nutrition. Healthy plants are not as attractive to pests and diseases as weak ones are.