It’s that time of year where gardeners, especially in the colder climates, need to begin to bring tropical and non-hardy plant material indoors for the winter. Plants should be brought indoors before nighttime temperatures dip below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. A lot of tropical plants will suffer damage once the temperature goes below 40 degrees; some below 50F. Here is how to proceed quickly and efficiently.
First, walk around your garden and note what plant material you plan on bringing indoors. Only select plant material that looks healthy. If a plant has yellow, chewed up leaves or is looking limp, forget about it. Plants have a difficult enough time making the transition for outdoors to indoors, that it is best to only bring in healthy looking specimens. If there are certain plants that you wish to take cuttings from such as coleus, salvias, lantanas, geraniums and begonias, now is the time to do it.
Making new plants from cuttings is easy. First, you cut a three to four inch long piece off of the original plant. Remove all of the bottom leaves and place the end of the cutting in a mix of peat and perlite in any small container with drainage. Dipping the tip of the cutting in rooting hormone powder (which can be bought at any garden center) encourages greater success with rooting. The rooting medium should be kept moist. Once the cuttings have rooted, they can be transplanted into small two or four inch containers with good drainage. Coleus and certain salvias can be water rooted; an old fashioned way of making new plants that so many of us were taught to do by our mothers or grandmothers.
If the plant is in the ground, dig it up carefully so that you get as much of the root mass as possible. If the roots of the plant are scraggly and overgrown, feel free to trim them a bit. Select containers that are large enough so that the root system of the plant can lay comfortably. Containers should also have holes for drainage. Center plant in the pot and add store bought potting mix in with the plant. Water and set aside in a cool, shady spot outside.
If the plant material you are planning to bring indoors is already in containers, set the containers aside in a cool, shady spot outdoors. If the plant spent the summer outside in a pot, lift the plant out of the pot to make sure that slugs or slug eggs are not nestled in the bottom of the pot. Often this is how slugs enter a pot and then young slugs will feed on the roots of the plant. It is easy enough to pick off the slugs if you find them inside the pot before putting the plant back in the container.
Now is also a good time to repot plants if needed. First, take the plant out of the pot to see if it is root bound. Feel free to trim some of the roots if they are wrapped around or scraggly. Usually going up one container size in plenty; for example, if your plant was in an 8 inch pot, re-pot in a 10 inch pot. Add good quality potting mix; making sure that the plant is snuggly positioned in the center of the pot. And finally, prune plant in the shape that you want it; this will make it look bushier and will actually help maintain its vigor over the coming months.
Once plants are potted up and trimmed and placed in a shady location outside, inspect all plant material for any insects or disease. If you notice any type of fungus, immediately spray with an organic fungicide on both the upper and lower leaves and separate infected plant from other plants. Regardless of whether or not the plants are showing any signs of insects, I automatically spray every plant with Neem oil, an organic insecticide, on both the top and bottom of the leaves. Continue to check plant material over the next three to four days. If any signs of insects persist, spray again and wait a few more days before bringing indoors.
When bringing plants indoors, place them near a bright window; unless they are strictly shade loving plants such as ferns or begonias. Don’t be surprised initially if the plant drops some leaves and yellows a bit. It is adjusting to its new environs.
Plants indoors usually do not need to be watered as frequently. Only water when plants are dry. Also cut back on fertilizer. I try to mist my plants as often as possible; especially when I turn on the heat in my home.
Check your plant material every few days for insects. If you notice any insects at all, place plant under a stream of cold water to get rid of them and become vigilant about misting your plants and keeping your thermometer near 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Article By Fran Sorin
www.fransoring.com
