Not Forgotten

It seems that lately, most of my posts have either been about my succulents, or my outdoor garden. This is probably because I'm a summertime girl, and I try to spend as much time outdoors as possible. This doesn't mean that I've forgotten about my leafy tropicals. As I've noted before, most of these stay indoors year round. I grow houseplants because I like having plants inside my house. Carting them all outside for a significant part of the year would defeat that purpose.

One thing that always pleases me is having my Monstera deliciosa produce new leaves, which it doesn't do too often. Considering how huge the plant is already, this is probably not a bad thing. (Click on the "Monstera" label to see previous posts that show just how huge.)

Two freshly opened Monstera deliciosa leaves

In looking over my previous posts about this plant, I realize that I never wrote about the attack of scale insects that it suffered last year. I am happy to report that it responded well to treatment, which consisted of removing a couple of the most seriously infested leaves, wiping away visible scale with alcohol-soaked cotton pads, the application of a systemic insecticide to the soil, and periodic misting with an alcohol and water mixture for a few weeks. I was devastated to find the insects, and relieved that I managed to rid the plant of them. I am not a fan of strong insecticides like the imidacloprid formula I used, but I have a sentimental attachment to this plant, as it is the most successful houseplant I ever grew from seed.