Natural remedies for your sick plants

Before uprooting a diseased plant or resorting to an insecticide or fungicide, it's important to correctly identify the problem to choose an appropriate solution.

• There are two main types of problems that can be solved by chemical treatments: the presence of pests and fungal diseases. Plants that are victims of viral infections must be destroyed.
• Viruses are often carried by insects, such as aphids, so you'll probably have to fight against these pests and to check the quality of the plant's environment to solve the problem at the source.

Natural remedies are preferable, especially if you grow edible plants.

• Treat spider mites, mealybugs, whiteflies and aphids with insecticidal soap. Stuck, the insect will die of suffocation and dehydration.
• Fight caterpillars (butterfly larvae and moths) with the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis.
• Manually remove caterpillars, lily beetles, vine weevils, slugs and snails.
• Limit the spread of diseases and pests using products containing neem oil (Azadirachta indica).
• Replace mineral oils with vegetable oils to suppress spider mites, aphids, mealybugs and whiteflies.
• Apply cinnamon powder to houseplants and greenhouse crops affected by fungal diseases or whose stems are rotting.
• Avoid spreading pests and diseases: burn the affected plants or seal them in a plastic bag before tearing or cutting them.
• Become informed on the regulation of pesticides in specialized journals or online. Many insecticides and fungicides, natural or synthetic, traditionally used, are now prohibited by community laws.

If you do not wish to use pesticides, there are solutions that are respectful of the environment, such as biological and integrated control.

• You can order predators of undesirable species, which will be delivered with detailed instructions regarding the method of application to the affected plants.
• Phytoseiulus persimilis is a predatory mite used against spider mites and red mites, parasites that suck the sap from houseplants and greenhouse crops, causing their decline: covered with spots and yellowed, they eventually die.
• Aphids can be fought by a gnat or a parasitic wasp.
• Yn the same way, the Encarsia formosa is a tiny parasitic wasp that attacks the whitefly.

Ladybugs are formidable predators for aphids. Their larvae, which look like tiny grey crocodiles, also eat them.

• With a strong appetite, they are even more voracious than their parents. Learn to recognize and respect these insects that take care of your garden.