Get rid of mealy bugs on cactus with garlic spray.
While you may enjoy the effects of garlic in your culinary efforts, the scent and flavor of the herb makes pests run for the hills. Pests affect most plants, including succulents in the garden or home. If you have cacti or other perennial succulents in your home landscaping, planting perennial garlic bulbs in your garden as companion plants will help keep bugs at bay. You can also remove plant pests manually with a homemade garlic spray. Does this Spark an idea?
Succulents Description
Succulent plants are adapted to living on very little water. Cacti, aloe vera, yuccas and hyacinths are all succulents. Water collects inside the thick leaves or shafts to keep plants watered in dry climates. Succulents make fine outdoor garden plants in arid environments and work well as low-maintenance houseplants.
Common Succulent Pests
While these plants are easy to care for, they are not immune to typical plant pests. These pests may include mealy bugs (or aphids), scales or mites. Mealy bugs are perhaps the most common bug to invade succulent plants, either on their leaves or at the base of the roots. Inspect plants regularly to prevent an infestation of bugs, which can result in poor plant production and eventually death. If there are only a few visible bugs, you can manually remove them. Otherwise, you can spray the plant with a pesticide for succulents. While there are commercial insecticides available, you can kill the bugs naturally with a garlic bug spray.
Garlic Spray Recipe
To create your own garlic spray for succulent plants all you need are a few bulbs of garlic, water, hot peppers, liquid dishwashing soap and a blender. Puree the cloves and peppers, add a quart of water and a teaspoon of liquid dishwashing soap, and strain into a plastic storage container. Fill an empty spray bottle halfway with the mixture, fill the bottle the rest of the way with water, shake well, and spray directly onto the plants. Respray plants after heavy rainfall.
Beneficial Pests
Some pests are beneficial to plants. Ladybugs are insects you do not want to rid your succulents of with garlic spray. These tiny bugs eat harmful insects like mealy bugs and mites. Examine the plants thoroughly for these friendly insects before you implement any pest control measures.
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