When mealybugs or rotting leaves and stems appear in a rooftop or balcony garden, many people reach for expensive chemical sprays. A piece by Ashish Sengupta in Sarabangla's lifestyle section offers seven remedies made from things found at home, with a reminder that controlling pests and curing root rot are different jobs, and that the soil and the way a plant is watered need watching too.
For mealybugs the first suggestion is a neem oil spray: one to two spoons of neem oil and a few drops of liquid soap in a litre of water, shaken well and sprayed regularly on affected plants. The piece says this drives off mealybugs and reduces fungal infection on the leaves. The second is a garlic spray: crush a few cloves, boil them in water, cool, add a little soapy water and spray.
Mealybugs carry a waxy coating. Mixing a little liquid handwash or dishwashing liquid into water and spraying it breaks that coating down; the piece advises rinsing the plant with clean water a little while afterwards.
Rot calls for different remedies. If the base turns black or roots show signs of rotting, a paste of turmeric powder and water can be applied to the affected part. For fungal rot on leaves, a spray of a pinch of baking soda and a few drops of liquid soap in a litre of water is suggested, and cinnamon powder can be sprinkled where a plant is cut or where fungus starts at the base.
For serious root rot, the piece says a little hydrogen peroxide diluted in water can be applied at the base, where it helps destroy the bacteria and fungi that rot roots.
For city rooftop gardeners growing their own vegetables, the appeal is handling pests and rot on a small scale with household ingredients and no chemicals. Applying the remedies as directed and keeping soil and watering habits right is what matters.
Photo: Katja Schulz / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Source: Sarabangla
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