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Avatar for Andrea
Nov 9, 2015 7:54 PM CST
Thread OP

Hi!
I love green plants inside my apartment but i can never keep them alive! They usually gry some kind of pest and start dying or look horrible.
I want to erradicate whatever is happening to my plants. (They are both different type and size both receive weekly water and daily sun, although they are indoors.)

Here are some pics of the problem (front and back). Can you help me by telling me what this is, how to grt rid of it and most importantly... how to prevent it from coming back!!!!

Thanks!
Thumb of 2015-11-10/Andrea/0fa82e


Thumb of 2015-11-10/Andrea/48fbaf
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Nov 9, 2015 8:00 PM CST
Name: Jay
Nederland, Texas (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Region: Gulf Coast Charter ATP Member I helped beta test the first seed swap I helped plan and beta test the plant database. I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier Tip Photographer Garden Sages Garden Ideas: Master Level Hibiscus
The little white bug on the underside of the leaf in the second photo are aphids, which is what are killing your plant.
wildflowersoftexas.com



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Nov 9, 2015 8:07 PM CST
Name: Jay
Nederland, Texas (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Region: Gulf Coast Charter ATP Member I helped beta test the first seed swap I helped plan and beta test the plant database. I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier Tip Photographer Garden Sages Garden Ideas: Master Level Hibiscus
You can start just by wiping the aphids off the leaves. There are lots of products to kill aphids available anywhere lawn and garden products are sold. I'm sure someone will come along soon with specific recommendations.
wildflowersoftexas.com



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Nov 9, 2015 11:06 PM CST
Name: David Laderoute
Zone 5B/6 - NW MO (Zone 5b)
Ignoring Zones altogether
Seed Starter Avid Green Pages Reviewer Garden Ideas: Level 1
Insecticidal soap. If that doesn't work Neem oil. The black spots is likely the result of honydew/sooty mold caused by what looks like aphids as Horntoad indicated.
Seeking Feng Shui with my plants since 1976
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Nov 10, 2015 2:16 PM CST
Name: Elaine
Sarasota, Fl
The one constant in life is change
Amaryllis Tropicals Multi-Region Gardener Orchids Master Gardener: Florida Irises
Herbs Region: Florida Vegetable Grower Daylilies Birds Cat Lover
I agree they are aphids. If you don't want to buy an insecticide for just a couple of plants, you can first try just wiping down the plants - both tops and bottoms of the leaves - with a wet paper towel. This will remove/kill most if not all the aphids, and also most of the black spots. You may have to rub the spots a little bit to get them off.

Or spray the whole plant with a fine mist of water from a spray bottle, let it soak for a few minutes and then wipe it off with paper towels.

If they come right back, you might want to try spraying the whole plant - again be sure to get the undersides of the leaves and the stems - with soapy water. Just 1/2 tsp. of dish soap for a quart spray bottle is plenty. Don't think that if some is good, more is better because soap can be harsh if it's too concentrated. Do this at least twice within a week, to get any new bugs whose eggs that hatch after the first treatment.

After that, to prevent a re-infestation, take your plants to the shower at least once a month and give them a good "rain bath". They will thank you for it. Most indoor plants are more or less tropical in nature, so they like the extra humidity.
Elaine

"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill
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