It is not always
smooth sailing in our little balcony garden. While the plants are happy with
the wet waste inputs and show it in the profusion of flowering, there are
insects and bugs that are attracted to such healthy plants.
Some of these that have visited the plants:
·
Mealy bugs –
these are white oblong shaped and appear to be soft and fluffy. They latch on
to the plant in clumps, and probably suck the juices. Plant dies if neglected.
·
Tiny black flies-
seen these for the first time this year. Once infested, the leaves begin to
wilt, crumple, and then die. Experienced this with my once blossoming chilli
plant.
·
Tiny snails with
screw shaped shells- these are in the soil, and boy, the rate at which they
multiply would give the hamster and rabbits a complex.
·
Ants- from very
tiny ones to large ants. They come to generally live in the soil, on the plant,
lay their eggs, etc.
·
Tiny spiders-
these too cause drying and wilting of leaves.
(The operative word is
tiny, to distinguish them from the large varieties.)
Solutions tried:
·
For the spiders, flies
and mealy bugs, spraying a dilute solution of Neem oil (say 1/4 teaspoon for 2
liters of water) is effective. Neem oil is strong so you may dilute it even more for repeat spraying. Keep a gap of few days to a week between two
sprayings. I have also found that puffing turmeric powder on the mealy bugs
discourages them.
·
For the snails,
sprinkling salt on them while they are moving seems to be the best remedy I
have used. When salt comes in contact with their soft parts it kills them
instantly. Once several are dead, you can scoop out the salt and the dead
snails so that the salt does not seep into the soil.
·
To kill ants, the
anti-ant powder commonly available with chemists is effective. Neem oil
spraying also seems to work.
A note of caution here: Do
verify that the insecticide is safe for humans, especially if you are going to
apply it to vegetable or fruit plants. Take precautions accordingly.
Occasionally, the odd
caterpillar of a moth or butterfly might turn up on the plants. Unless they are eating up the leaves or doing
any other kind of damage to the plants, it is best to ignore them.
You might also
find earthworms in the soil. That's good news. Please keep them (unless their numbers are
overwhelming). They are the useful fellows, and keep the soil turned and
aerated.
