Even a plant that looks perfect in the shop can carry a few pests or eggs you cannot see yet. Spider mites, mealybugs, scale, thrips and fungus gnats all start small. If the new plant goes straight onto the shelf with the rest, they can spread before you notice.
Quarantine simply means keeping a new plant apart from your other plants for a while. Colorado State University Extension suggests a separate area of the home for at least three weeks, then a careful inspection before it joins the others. A spare room, a different windowsill or a separate corner of the balcony all work, as long as leaves do not touch.
During that time, look it over once or twice a week: undersides of leaves, leaf joints, new growth and the surface of the mix. Tapping a leaf over white paper can reveal tiny moving specks such as mites.
Quarantine also fits nicely with the settling-in period, because the plant needs a calm spot anyway.
Key points
- Keep new plants apart for at least three weeks.
- Inspect weekly, especially leaf undersides and joints.
- Only move the plant in once it has passed inspection.
Try this
Choose your quarantine spot today: somewhere bright where a new plant will not touch any of your existing plants.
Check yourself
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Sources
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