Growing your own greens means creating the kind of warm, humid conditions plants love — and occasionally, so do a few unwanted guests. em-Li doesn't come with bugs, but because the environment is so hospitable, insects that are already present in your home can find their way in.

Most of the time, they hitch a ride: on store-bought herbs, through an open window in summer, or on clothes after a day outdoors. The good news is that once you know what you're dealing with, most of these visitors are easy to manage.

Here's your guide to the four most common ones.

Aphids — small, green insects that cluster on leaves

Aphids tend to gather on the undersides of leaves, so you'll often need to look closely to spot them. They multiply quickly, but they're also one of the easier pests to manage early on.

If you spot aphids on just a few leaves, remove the infested ones straightaway to stop them spreading. From there, a few natural remedies usually do the trick:

• Vinegar spray: Mix 1 part vinegar with 10 parts water and spray directly onto the aphids. Rinse your herbs well before eating.
• Water spray: A firm jet of water can physically dislodge aphids. Repeat as needed.
• Baking soda spray: Dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda in 1 litre of water and spray onto affected plants.

If the infestation has spread across the whole plant and nothing above is helping, it's best to start fresh — discard the plant, clean the base plate and pots thoroughly, and begin again with new coco peat and seeds.

Springtails — tiny white insects in the soil or water

You'll usually notice springtails hopping around, especially if the soil or water gets disturbed. A couple may show up at first, but they can multiply fast.

The reassuring part: springtails are completely harmless to you and your plants. Your greens will grow exactly as they should — nothing toxic, nothing dangerous. These insects simply thrive in humid environments and feed on dead plant matter and mould, so clearing away any decaying material helps keep numbers down.

If you'd rather not share your em-Li with them, try:

• Dip and float: Submerge the pots in water — the springtails will float to the surface, where you can skim them off.
• Hydrogen peroxide rinse (commonly suggested by gardeners, though we haven't tested this ourselves and can't vouch for the results): Mix 1 part 3% hydrogen peroxide (available at pharmacies) with 4 parts water — for example, 50 ml hydrogen peroxide to 200 ml water. Pour into the pots, or lift the pots and pour a little directly into the base plate. Repeat after a week.

If springtails persist despite these efforts, starting over with fresh coco peat is the most reliable fix.

Fungus gnats — small flies that resemble fruit flies

These are best tackled by catching the adults before they get a chance to lay new eggs.

• DIY trap: Mix dish soap, vinegar, and water in a shallow bowl and place it near the affected plants. Leave it out for a while to draw the flies in.
• Yellow sticky traps: Widely available online and effective at catching adult gnats.
• Hydrogen peroxide rinse (often recommended to target the larvae before they mature — again, untested on our end, so we can't guarantee results): Mix 1 part 3% hydrogen peroxide with 4 parts water (e.g., 50 ml to 200 ml) and pour into the pots, or directly into the base plate. Repeat after a week.

Thrips — small, yellow or dark insects that feed on leaves

Thrips are the toughest of the four to deal with. They feed on plant sap, and over time, affected leaves turn pale, yellow, or brown, often developing a faint silvery sheen.

They usually arrive via new houseplants, so it's worth quarantining any new additions for a week or two — checking closely for thrips — before placing them near your em-Li or other plants.

If thrips do take hold, they're difficult to eliminate and can cause real damage. At this stage, it's best to discard the affected plants, clean the base plate and pots with soapy water, let everything dry for a few days, and restart with fresh coco peat. Before you do, check any other plants in your home too, to make sure thrips haven't spread beyond your em-Li.