Ornamental plants add beauty to any landscape, but maintaining their health and beauty can be challenging, especially when faced with pests. These insects feed on the plants' nutrients and can spread harmful diseases, damaging your plant's quality.

Environmental Plant Management recognizes the struggle growers face in protecting their plants from these threats. That’s why we created Protection Plus™, a professional insecticide that controls insects that infect ornamental plants.

Choosing Protection Plus™ natural insecticide for ornamental plants gives growers an effective way to protect their plants, ensuring they stay healthy and vibrant throughout the growing season.
 

Efficacy testing proves
Protection Plus insecticide spray kills:
98% russet mites, 89% spider mites, 98% aphids, 90% thrips & 99% whiteflies (as documented in lab tests)


 

Common Pests Affecting Ornamental Plants

Ornamental trees and plants are often targeted by pests that can damage their quality and can be challenging to manage. Some of the most common ones include aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites.

Aphids: These tiny, soft-bodied insects can be green, black, or brown and are often found in clusters on stems and the undersides of leaves. Signs of an infestation include curled leaves, stunted growth, and the presence of a sticky substance called honeydew.

  • Egg Stage: Aphids lay their eggs in specific locations, typically glued to the undersides of leaves or in clusters on stems. The number of eggs produced can range from dozens to hundreds, depending on the species and environmental conditions. Optimal conditions for hatching include warm temperatures and high humidity, which accelerate the development of the eggs into nymphs.
  • Growth Period: The time it takes for aphids to mature from nymphs to adults can be as short as seven to eight days under favorable conditions. During this growth period, they can reproduce rapidly, leading to a significant increase in infestation levels.
  • Mature Insects: Adult aphids have a relatively short lifespan but can reproduce asexually, contributing to the rapid spread of the infestation. Their role in spreading diseases among plants is crucial, as they can transmit viruses in just a few minutes of feeding.


Whiteflies: Small, winged insects with white bodies, whiteflies tend to gather on the undersides of leaves. Their presence is often detected through yellowing leaves or by noticing the insects flying around when disturbed.

  • Egg Stage: Whiteflies lay their eggs primarily on the undersides of leaves. A female can produce hundreds of eggs in her lifetime, usually in circular patterns. The optimal conditions for hatching include warm temperatures, typically around 70 to 85°F (21 to 29°C), where eggs hatch in approximately 5 to 7 days.
  • Growth Period: The growth period of whiteflies consists of five distinct stages, including egg, four larval instars, and adult. This entire cycle takes about 40 days, depending on temperature and environmental conditions. The initial stages of development can significantly impact infestation levels, as the larvae feed on plant sap and can rapidly increase their population if not controlled.
  • Mature Insects: Adult whiteflies have a lifespan of around two to four weeks. They play a crucial role in spreading infestations, as they can quickly fly to nearby plants to lay eggs. This mobility, combined with their ability to reproduce rapidly, makes them a persistent threat to plant health.


Spider Mites: Barely visible to the naked eye, spider mites leave behind fine webbing on leaves. Their presence is typically indicated by speckled, yellowing leaves and bronzing.

  • Egg Stage: Spider mites lay their eggs attached to fine silk webbing on the host plant. A single adult female can produce several hundred eggs during her lifespan. Under optimal conditions, which typically hover around 80ºF, the eggs hatch in approximately three days.
  • Growth Period: The growth period from egg to adult for spider mites varies greatly, taking between five to twenty days depending on environmental conditions. The development cycle includes several stages: egg, larva, two nymphal stages (protonymph and deutonymph), and finally, the adult stage. The ability to mature quickly allows spider mites to establish substantial infestations in a short period, often leading to multiple overlapping generations within a year.
  • Mature Insects: Adult spider mites have a lifespan of about two to four weeks. During this time, they play a crucial role in spreading infestations as they continue to lay hundreds of eggs. Their rapid reproduction and feeding habits contribute significantly to the damage they inflict on plants.


How These Pests Harm Ornamental Plants

Aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites all harm plants by feeding on their sap, which weakens the plant. As they extract nutrients, they compromise the plant's ability to grow and produce healthy foliage. This leads to slower growth and makes the plant more vulnerable to other environmental stresses.

In addition to depleting essential nutrients, these pests often spread plant diseases, further threatening the health of ornamental plants. When unchecked, infestations can lead to extensive damage, potentially causing leaf drop, discoloration, and the overall decline of the plant's health and appearance.


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Protection Plus -
No Oil, No Residue

  • Earth-friendly: natural, food-based ingredients
  • Lower cost: Eliminates excessive treatments and the need for product rotation
  • Guaranteed pure: Quarterly testing to be free of over 400 forbidden ingredients to ensure our products are safe and natural for tough hemp and cannabis testing requirements
  • Free of all Proposition 65 ingredients
  • Residue-free, non-oil based formula doesn’t clog pores or hamper plant growth
  • Industry high kill rates

 


Why Choose a Natural Solution for Your Ornamental Plants

When managing insects on ornamental plants, understanding the different types of insecticides is important. That way, you can select the right products to treat your plants with and keep them vibrant.

While chemical insecticides are effective in managing pests at first, they come with significant drawbacks. Their use can harm the plants they aim to protect and negatively affect the environment. Furthermore, these insecticides typically leave residues that block leaf stomata, reducing the plant’s ability to photosynthesize, and can encourage resistance among pests.

Unlike these systemic insecticides, Protection Plus™ offers a safer natural alternative by having a water-based, non-systemic formulation. It carries no environmental risks or issues with resistance because it dries up quickly upon contact, leaving no residues on plants or in the growing media. The solution also features a unique mode of action that effectively eliminates pests by suffocating them while dissolving their exoskeletons.

By staying away from chemical insecticides and opting for natural solutions that are suitable for use in any environment, such as Protection Plus™, you can protect your ornamental plants effectively and promote sustainable practices for the long term.
 


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