How to Prepare Houseplants for Winter: Tips for Bringing Plants Indoors
Hello, again!
As our nightly temps start to trend downward, soon those cooler temps will be a daily occurrence. Not only does this mean it's time to get spring-flowering bulbs in the ground, but it's also time to winterize any tropical houseplants we've been enjoying outdoors this summer. While we can't officially "winterize houseplants", we can do some things now to help them through the winter indoors.
Here are a few tips for prepping your tropical houseplants for winter:
First, insect prevention is important before bringing plants indoors. Hi-Yield Systemic Insect Granules are the perfect way to provide long-lasting insect protection. Just sprinkle the granules on the soil, mix, and water in. The roots will absorb this systemic insecticide and move it through the entire plant, providing up to 2 months of protection.
ferti•lome Indoor Outdoor Multi-Purpose Insect Spray also controls many insects on indoor plants as well as residential and garden insects for up to four weeks. I spray my houseplants with it every year before they come inside. It's perfect to use in the fall and winter when insects like spiders and crickets want to come inside.
This is also a great time to repot houseplants that have spent the summer outside. After receiving an abundance of light all season long, they have most likely started to outgrow the pots they were initially planted in.
A couple of rules of thumb when repotting houseplants:
You don't need to pick a dramatically larger pot. Anything that is an inch or two bigger will do. It's important to make sure the container has a hole in the bottom for good drainage, and to use a quality potting mix such as ferti•lome Ultimate Potting Mix. Since the potting mix does not contain fertilizer, I'll add ferti•lome Garden Cote at planting time at half the suggested rate to feed the plant during the winter months.
Once your houseplants are ready for winter, it's time to enjoy a few of the things that make fall special. For me, that includes cooler days, pumpkins, and trying new recipes in the kitchen.
As I walk around the garden centers on these cool days, I see all the pumpkins and fall plants, and it reminds me of a recipe I wanted to try: Green Chile Pumpkin Tortilla Soup. This sounds like a perfect combo of pumpkin and the green chiles I froze for the coming year. Our small pie pumpkins are simple to bake and use in so many fall recipes, from breads to soups and pies. Give it a try and let us know if you have a good pumpkin recipe!
Your friend in the garden,
Marty Johnson
Owner - Johnson's Garden Centers
