Check your Calathea plant for pest infestations
It’s that time of year again… early spring. It’s been warming up for months now and the humidity is low. Perfect for those insect surprise attacks. This can happen on plants you have come to know well and trust to be pest-free. For example, maybe you have a beautiful Calathea plant in one of your accounts that you thought you knew especially well. One day you notice the leaves are browning a little at the tips. You might assume it’s the low humidity at this time of year, but then when you touch the leaf and drag your fingers across its underside…oh no! The bottom of the leaf feels gritty! When you turn it over, you see mites! Where did they come from?
Not even optimal care gives us absolute protection from pest attacks. They can sneak up on us at any time and give us a surprise attack. It’s just a pest-filled world, and we have to constantly be on the watch for them attacking our plant friends. Especially when conditions are just right they can multiply quickly. These conditions include:
- Low humidity
- Warm heated environments
- A hot window
- A warm sunny day followed by several overcast ones
- A plant standing in water and starting to rot
- An unhealthy plant
- A newly installed plant
Especially during the early spring months, it’s easy to have a pest outbreak. As a preventative measure, take the extra minute to inspect all your plants. Even your most-loved, trusted plant friends can be develop pests at any time.