My Anglo-Indian mother’s prize possession is her curry leaf tree, but it has suffered an aphid infestation. How do we care for this plant? It is in a pot and we bring it into the conservatory in winter.
I assume you’ve got rid of the aphids, but have you washed the plant? Aphid dew is sticky because it’s sugary: if left it tends to grow a black sooty mould, so a quick wash under the shower with a little washing-up liquid will remove any residue and dislodge any aphids left behind.
Then it needs a pick-me-up. A liquid feed such as a seaweed supplement is perfect, but go easy because it’s no longer the growing season and you don’t want to overwater now light levels are dropping. If the plant loses its leaves it’s just going dormant, so don’t overwater it, as this will cause root rot. Or you could give a foliar feed that you spray straight on to the leaves.
You may also want to trim it lightly before you bring it inside. Reducing the top growth over winter means the roots won’t be stressed, and this should encourage bushy growth in spring.
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