Plant De-Bugging: How To Get Rid Of Bugs In Plants Before Bringing Them Indoors

I think it’s a general rule among most houseplants lovers to bring the plants outside during summer and then to bring them back indoors for the winter – without bugs!

Yes, plants, as humans and animals, love the summer and its humidity and they dislike bugs. Both plants and humans hate bugs during summer time, which is why we have to do a proper de-bugging when we think in bringing our lovely indoor plants inside the house. As a matter of fact I have the perfect solution for doing that! Instead of removing every tiny bug with your hands (at least this method was used by grandma) you can prepare a natural, chemical-free solution perfect to get rid of pests on your houseplants.

When to bring houseplants indoor?

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Plan to start bringing your houseplants back inside several weeks before cooler weather hits in the fall. If indoor plants are left outside for too long, cold weather could trigger them to drop their leaves or even worst, kill the plant.
As a general rule, you can bring houseplants in for winter at least two weeks before your average last frost date.

How To Prepare A Natural Indoor Plants Pesticide

Supplies:

  • Large bucket
  • Mild liquid soap (I use Castile Soap)
  • Flower pot scrub brush
  • Spray bottle
  • Neem oil

Procedure:

  • Fill the bucket with water and add a few liquid soap squirts in it to form soapy water.
  • Soak the whole plant with pot and all in the large bucket with soapy water. Let it sit there for 15-20 minutes.
  • Soapy water will kill any bug existing on the plant leaves or soil.

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  • If there are any remaining leaves that weren’t submerged use the spray bottle with the following soapy solution – 1 tablespoon of mild liquid soap/1 tablespoon of neem oil/1 liter of water – and spray over the entire plant.
  • As a matter of fact you can use the same solution to kill further winter pests on houseplants so, you can save the recipe of this natural insecticide.
  • After removing the pots from the soapy water use the brush and clean them thoroughly.
  • The next move is to rinse the plant using the hose. Let the water drain completely before moving the plants indoors.

Tip: if you don’t have a garden and you’re simply moving the plants indoor from the balcony, you can do the same procedure in the bathtub. Be careful, though, to clean and disinfect the bathtub afterwards.

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