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 Botanic Garden >> Gardening >  >> Question and Answer >> Plant Species >> Tropical Plants

Bird of Paradise Infested with Soil Bugs & Browning Leaves? Repot Completely—Sterilize Pot, Wash Roots

A 4-foot bird of paradise in a UK kitchen has mottled brown leaves and soil teeming with tiny crawling bugs (not ants). Can it be saved?

Complete Soil Replacement Required

Bugs in soil mean eggs and larvae are throughout the root zone. No topical treatment reaches them all.

Step-by-Step Rescue

  1. Remove plant; shake off all soil.
  2. Wash roots gently but thoroughly in lukewarm water.
  3. Sterilize pot (bleach solution, rinse well).
  4. Repot in fresh, sterile potting mix.
  5. Water well; place in bright, indirect light.

Recovery

New growth will emerge from the crown. Be patient—it takes weeks. The plant is not dead; it's just resetting.

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