05/28/2026
🪴I Beg Your Garden 🪴
Pest Prevention & Treatment
People often ask how I keep hundreds of plants relatively pest-free in a non-sterile environment. Nothing is 100% effective, but this routine works really well for me.
Prevention Spray
16 oz spray bottle
• 10–15 drops neem oil
• 5 drops peppermint oil
• 1/2 tsp Castile soap
• Fill the rest with water
Shake well before and during use, since the neem oil separates quickly. Spray the entire plant, especially the undersides of the leaves where pests tend to hide.
Because I have such a large volume of plants, I do this a couple of times a week. Most indoor plant owners likely won’t need to spray that often.
Treatment Spray
16 oz spray bottle
• Fill half with warm water
• Fill other half with 70% rubbing alcohol
Spray the entire plant thoroughly.
This can temporarily make leaves more sensitive to light, so it’s best to let the foliage dry before placing plants back into direct sun.
Due to the number of plants I keep, I use this weekly as a precaution. It doesn’t harm the plants in my experience and kills pests on contact.
Another Option
There’s also a growing trend of using beneficial insects to prevent and treat pests naturally. That can be another great option if it’s something you’re interested in exploring.
