Hobby gardeners do not limit their enthusiasm simply to the outside, but many have been known to take their passion inside the home as well.  With a surge in the popularity of household plants, it is a small wonder that even gardening enthusiasts without a garden are now indulging their passion in the small indoors.  Yet no hobby comes without its host of problems, and household plants are no exception.

There is a list of common diseases and even pests that may be found in your household plants, which require your attention lest they leave the plant unsightly, sick, and eventually dead.  Additionally, some pests can be become so annoying that they may require you to take further steps from keeping them from invading portions of your home.

Here is a list of common diseases and pests, and some easy way of identifying them:

Potassium deficiency in the plant’s soil is a very common occurrence.  It often happens when soil is being recycled, or low-grade soils, such as sandy or peaty soils, are used to pot a plant.  The result is a plant that suffers from the deficiency and will display symptoms ranging from curling leaf tips to unsightly brown discolorations around the edges of the leaves.  Adding specifically formulated potassium rich fertilizers will cure this deficiency and allows the plant to return to health.

Powdery mildew is the attack of a fungus onto the plant. A white powder will cover leaves, stems, and even blooms.  Soil that has been recycled from another plant that suffered from this fungal attack is bound to contain spores that will also attack any other plant it comes near to.  This fungus calls for a trip to the local garden supply store for some help in securing a solution that will eradicate the fungus, since –left to its own devices—will attach itself to whatever plants are near the infected one.

Another fungus that will attack primarily roses is the black spot disease.  Easily recognizable by the black spots that form on rose leaves; this disease needs to be treated quickly before it spreads to the entire plant. In order to protect your potted plant, be sure to remove all fallen leaves, clip off the ones that show evidence of advanced black spot disease, and treat the rest of the plant with a fungicide you will be able to purchase at the local garden supply store.

Root rot also is a fungus, yet since it lives and thrives in the soil; it is much harder to get rid of than the topical fungus that can be removed from leaves.  While there may be some antifungal solutions that can be added to the soil, in general by the time it is recognized it is too late to save the plant from demise.  Prevention, in this case, is best, and one good step is to use potting soil that is rich in compost or manure components, as these inhibit the growth of this fungus. Recycling potting soil from another plant or taking garden soil may add to the problem.

Aphids are one of the pests that can affect household plants.  Sucking the sap from within the plant, they sometimes will transfer plant viruses to their host plant and thus kill it.  Let unchecked, the aphids will soon reproduce and take over the plant, leaving it unsightly and dying.  While ladybugs are a known killer of aphids, many hobby gardeners do not wish to specifically introduce insects into their homes, no matter how beneficial they may be, and thus you may need to go the chemical route to rid your plant of the aphids.  Removing the aphids you can see by hand, and then spraying the plant with a diluted soap mix is perhaps an organic first step of aphid control.

Whiteflies are another pest, which is often found on the underside of leaves. Similar to aphids, these insects suck out the plant’s sap, while exposing the plant to a toxin within their saliva.  Because of an overuse of pesticides in the past, these animals have a high tolerance to toxins, and more organic methods and hands on methods are required to bring this infestation under control and to keep your houseplant from dying. Spraying the underside of the leaves with a diluted mix of soap and water and then sponging off as many of the flies as possible is one solution, while hanging sticky traps around the plant and frequently disturbing the leaves is another.

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