As great as owning and taking care of plants can be, it sometimes feels like our leafy friends should come with their very own troubleshooting guide.

From yellow leaves and crispy foliage to leggy growth and drooping stems, there is a long list of potential problems your plants might face – and that’s not forgetting the issue of pests, the most common of which is the humble fungus gnat.

In layman’s terms, fungus gnats (or sciarid flies, as they are also known) are the small, black or grey-ish flies that you’ll often see flying around or scurrying over the surface of your plants. They look a little bit like fruit flies, but they are different.

Fungus gnats: how to stop those annoying little flies taking over all your houseplants