After spending the summer out on our decks or patios, our houseplants usually look pretty good. And why not, it’s humid out there. Warm during the day and kind of cool at night.
But it’s getting towards winter and it’s time to start thinking about bringing them in. And we should do that about thirty days before the first projected frost. Don’t wait until the last minute, it’s too big a shock.
Thirty days before a frost, bring in your houseplants. Get them used to your house. Before we bring them in though, look at the foliage. Examine it closely, look for bugs, look for insects of any kind. Scale, mites, any webbing and remove it.
Also, spray the foliage with Malathion or insecticidal soap. Be sure you get anybody that might be on there. And then think about the potting soil. Insects could have laid eggs in this soil during the summer that will hatch in your house during the wintertime. Bugs, slugs or other thugs could have crawled into the drain holes in the bottom.
The easy remedy for that, make a solution of malathion or insecticidal soap in a bucket and then submerge the pot in the solution. After 15 minutes of soaking take it out and let it drain. Spray it, soak it and you’ll be ready to bring it in without any unwanted houseguests.
Suggestions For Bringing Plants Indoors…
- About 30 days before the first projected frost, bring plants inside
- Before bringing plants inside, look at the foliage for bugs or insects
- Spray the foliage with Malathion or insecticidal soap
- Make a solution of Malathion or
- insecticidal soap in a bucket and submerge your pot in the solution
- After 15 minutes of soaking, let the pot drain and you will not have any unwanted houseguests