Over the winter

By Paul Schnare

We have had a few cool mornings lately, which has prompted a question from many gardeners.

When is the time to take my tropical plants inside for the winter, and what do I need to do before and after I take them in?

Watch the weather. When you see a forecast for temperatures below 45 degrees, I would get them inside.

On the other hand, you may want to take them inside sometime in early- to mid-October regardless of what temperatures are in the forecast.

This way, you can schedule the time to make the transition instead of having to make an unplanned and hurried move.

First, if you find your plants are dusty, give them a good shower with your water hose.

Use an old sock on your hand to "scrub" the leaves. If you want to have your plants shine, spray them with Green Glo. Let the leaves and stems dry before transporting into your home.

Just before you transport them into your house, sprinkle a systemic insecticide granule on the plant soil surface. Then water the soil thoroughly.

The insecticide will move into the plant and kill any insects that have hidden themselves in the soil or any insect eggs that may hatch later.

You also should spray the plant with a good all-purpose insecticide that may kill insects hiding in the plant foliage.

If you have not fertilized your plants within a few weeks of moving them into the house, feed them with a solution of a balanced fertilizer such as a 20-20-20 on a monthly basis. This will help them get through the transition.

Place the plants inside your home or office in an area that gets as much light as possible.

If you have no south- or west-facing windows, purchase a grow light and place it close to the plant so it will give the plant enough light to thrive in its new location.

I mention a grow light because these are special bulbs that have been designed to produce wavelengths as close as possible to that of sunlight. To grow normally, plants need light from the UV to the far-red range.

Make sure you place your plants away from drafts inside the home or office. The air movement can cause desiccation. This could result in plant burn.

Make sure you place a saucer of some kind under the plant pot. The saucer will catch excess moisture moving out of the pot during watering.

Water the plant inside your home only when it needs it.

Use your finger as a moisture tester. Stick it into the soil. When the soil feels dry, water it. When it feels moist, don't water it.

Overwatering is a very common cause of plants not growing well inside a home.

I like to take small plants and put them in the kitchen sink when watering.

Let them sit there for a time until excess water has drained out of the pot. Then take it back to the location in the home or office where you are leaving it.

When you are watering large plants, make sure any excess water can drain into a saucer.

After watering, remove excess water from the saucer. You don't want the plant roots to sit in moisture for a long period of time.

If you follow these instructions, you can enjoy your tropical plants for years to come.