All of a sudden I noticed these linings on my string of hearts plant and I thought maybe it’s a different type of variegation. But when I looked a bit closer I found this is not variegation. These are actually scale insects and this plant got infested by them.
Iām going to share a good way to remove these scales completely from a plant. Scales are a type of insect that sucks sap from a plant body to feed themselves, and this activity eventually kills a plant. You will find them on plant leaves, stems, and sometimes on roots.
The main problem is scale insects have a hard outer coat like snails that protect the inner soft skin from any type of adverse external activity. It’s a bit difficult to get rid of them. The soil of this plant also developed some kind of fungus, so it needed to be repotted immediately.
For more on fungal problems, see how to treat plant fungus.
1. Scale Insect Removal: Why I Use Hydrogen Peroxide
Treating these scales I generally use hydrogen peroxide. I used hydrogen peroxide before and it worked really well against scales. They are easily available in grocery stores and pharmaceutical shops.
Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical that contains two molecules of hydrogen and two molecules of oxygen. It’s made of the same elements of water but contains extra oxygen, so it works as an oxidizing agent as well as an antimicrobial solution. Mild use of this solution is not harmful to a plant.
2. Scale Insect Removal: Step-by-Step Treatment
Step 1 – Make a concentrated solution
You will find hydrogen peroxide at different concentrations like 3 percent and 6 percent. Mine is 6 percent, so I took 20 ml of water and in 20 ml of water I added 1.5 ml of hydrogen peroxide. If yours is 3 percent concentrated, then add 3 ml in 20 ml of water.
Step 2 – Remove visible scales
I took a cotton bud, dipped it in the solution, and gently removed the scales. You can see how easily they are coming out. I removed the scales as much as possible.
Step 3 – Repot and clean the roots
The soil was badly infested by some kind of fungus, so I washed the soil around the roots with clean water. The plant’s roots were still white and fresh, and I did not find any sign of root rot. Then I repotted the plant.
I potted only in coco peat. The coco peat was also washed by Trichoderma fungicide. There are some other pesticides available.
Read More: Mysterious Indoor Plants From Amazon Jungle
Step 4 – Make a diluted solution and dip
Once again I prepared another hydrogen peroxide solution, but this time I prepared a diluted hydrogen peroxide solution. I took 40 ml of water and added 1 ml of hydrogen peroxide, then mixed together. I dipped the whole vine in the solution.
This step will remove all existing pests and ultimately will disinfect the plant. I left the plant in the solution for about five minutes. Then after repotting I watered a little and kept the plant in a bright location away from direct sun and rain.
3. Scale Insect Removal: For Bigger Plants
For broader leaf or big plants it is not possible to dip the whole plant into a hydrogen peroxide solution. Spray the diluted solution of hydrogen peroxide on the infected areas. Leave for about one or two minutes and clean it out with clean cotton.
If your plants got very badly infested by scales, then you need to use commercial pesticides. To address a different common pest, see how to eliminate red spider mites.
4. Scale Insect Removal: Aftercare
This is the update after three days. I am adding some slow release fertilizer for its appropriate growth.
5. Final Thoughts on Scale Insect Removal
Hydrogen peroxide worked really well against scales for me and it is easy to find and simple to use. Dip smaller plants or spray larger ones, clean thoroughly, and repot if the soil is compromised. If the infestation is severe, move to commercial pesticides and keep the plant in bright conditions away from direct sun and rain.