Chemical pesticides severely affect the environment and its elements. Its effects tend to be short-lived but build up with each day of use. Pesticides cause great danger to human health as well as plant life. They also kill other beneficial animals and insects. Click here to get in touch with a pest control service that eradicates pests while causing the least damage to the plants.

Can your plants be harmed due to pest control?

Chemical pesticides cause damage to the overall health of the soil. Unhealthy soil causes the plants to get damaged. The food obtained from such soil is generally not as nutritious as it is supposed to be. Chemical pesticides also contaminate food, which leads to health issues in people.

Pest control in plants leads to phytotoxicity. The toxic effect caused by pesticides could damage or kill plants. Phytotoxicity causes a delay in seed germination. Hence, plant growth gets stunted. Even though plants are not supposed to be harmed by the pesticides that aim to protect them, damage can still occur to plants.

Misuse of pesticides causes “burning” of the plants. Besides the improper application of chemicals, phytotoxicity can still occur even when chemicals are correctly applied. It’s common for a spray, dust, or pesticide vapor to drift from the targeted plant to a sensitive plant, causing damage. Residues of pesticides accumulating in the soil can also cause damage to the plants.

Some signs of plants suffering from phytotoxicity

• They suffer from poor germination.
• Seedlings die often.
• Flecks or dead spots are observed on their leaves.
• The roots and leaves of the plants are distorted.
• Dead spots between the veins of the leaves •The leaf tips of the plants die.
• The leaf margins of the plants die.
• Plant growth gets stunted.

It is always advised thoroughly to read the label while using pesticides. This helps provide necessary information regarding which plants the chemicals can be applied to without causing any potential damage. Some plants tend to be more sensitive to a particular chemical than others.

Over-application of pesticides should be avoided in all cases. It is recommended to put in just the right amount of chemical required. You can figure out the right amount by reading the information provided on the label. Moreover, you should prevent using pesticides on summer days or windy days. This is essential as the wind can cause the pesticide to drift as it can harm other plants. If a target plant is too close to other vulnerable plants, you can spray the pesticide by building around it to prevent damage to weak plants.