Herself's Houseplants

Aphids – tiny white, yellow or green bugs about the size of fleas
Spider mites - super tiny bugs sometimes you’ll see webs in bright sunlight, bleached or yellow spots appear on leaves
Mealy bugs – look like tufts of cotton
White fly – tiny white flies - sticky leaves on plant
Scale – dark brown shells – sticky leaves on plant
Black flies – small black flies
Thrips – thin light brown bugs – silvery areas appear on leaves

The first thing to do is give your plant a thorough scrubbing in the sink using soap. For scale, white fly and mealy bugs you’ll want to wipe the plant down with rubbing alcohol then rinse it again.

If you have black flies you are over watering – replant the plant with new soil. Give the roots a thorough rinsing in water between pots, and water less.

For aphids, thrips, mealy bugs, white flies mix some liquid dish soap with water and spray on all parts of the plant. ( 1 tablespoon soap to 1 gallon of water )

For spider mites, scale, thrips, white flies spray the plant with a thin coating of oil. There are insecticide oils you can buy, but anything in the kitchen that is handy will work. Spider mites on your plants are a sign of low humidity.

Separate infested plant from other house plants and repeat the washing, alcohol, soap or oil as recommended above until plant is free of infestation.

See also:
Photos of various types of scale insects
Go organic on house plant pest removal
Plant Oasis – Common Houseplant Pests
Insects, Bugs and Pests that invade your house plants
Control or Pests on House Plants

Mealy Bugs

Aphids ( Aphid photo from yamada )

Depends on the plant of course. But that is not a useful answer. If you see any of these symptoms in your house plant it probably needs more light.

Plant slowly drops older leaves
Older leaves are pale or yellow or a lighter green than they should be
Older leaves may be larger than normal, newer leaves smaller than normal

New growth is slow
New growth is spindly or weak

Plant bends toward the light source

No flowers
Bud drop
Flowers are pale or faded in color
Flowers are smaller than they should be

If you see any of these symptoms try putting your plant in a brighter window or adding light with a table lamp that has a fluorescent bulb.

See also: How much sun is too much?

So many plants, so many pots.

For plants that have shallow root systems you want shallow pots. These include: bonsai, most carnivorous plants, mother in law’s tongues, most cactus, phalaenopsis orchids, and others.

For plants that want deep roots you want deep pots. These include: most orchids, aloe vera, african violets, and most of your house plants.

Orchids are usually potted in pots that have holes in the sides to let more air flow through. The roots of orchids need more air than most plants.

If you have a wonderful deep pot and a shallow rooted plant you can fill the bottom of the pot with styrofoam peanuts or some small rocks if you need additional weight. Then put soil in the top half of the pot. Another trick is to take a small clay pot and tip it upside down inside a larger pot. Then fill with soil around and above the pot.

If your plant is top heavy, like rubber trees, or orchids which are potted in moss, weight the bottom of the pot with a few small rocks.

Clay pots don’t hold water as long as plastic pots do. They are also heavy so that large plants are less likely to tip over. You will want a plastic liner underneath a clay pot so you do not get water damage on your furniture. Clay pots are porous. Clay pots should be soaked over night the first time you use one. If you do not soak it over night, keep a close eye on your plant’s water needs for a month, the pot will soak a fair bit of water from the soil for a while.

Plants potted in plastic pots tend to stay damp longer and the pots are much easier to move about. The plastic pots are very cheap and now come in zillions of colors, shapes and sizes.

Sometimes it is easiest to leave the plants in the plastic pots you purchase them in and place that in a cache pot. This is just a flower pot with no holes at the bottom. Then you just lift out the plastic pot for watering.

Woven baskets are nice but rot quickly. It is best to leave your plant in a regular pot. Place that pot inside the basket and use moss to cover the pot.

That depends on the plant of course, but here are symptoms your plant will show if you are giving it too much sun:

Edges of leaves may turn white, beige or brown
Edges of leaves may be red
Tips of leaves may brown
New leaves smaller in size
New leaves are brown
Leaves may turn white, or gray
New leaves may be too pale in color
Entire plant wilts

And sometimes a plant will remain green but refuse to grow.

If you see any of these symptoms, and especially if you see more than one symptom, try moving your plant to a less sunny location.

See also:

How much sun is too little?

House Plants Get Sunburn