Bring Your Houseplants Inside but Leave the Bugs Outside Part 2
by
Rhonda B
(IC: blogger)
I have to admit-this is a tedious job. Sometimes I consider just hauling the darn things in and not worrying about any bugs that might come with it. But then I remember a few years ago I had 3 Banana plants (along with some other plants) that I had brought inside without cleaning them up. Guess what-they died that winter from a spider mite and scale infestation and the rest of my plants barely made it through the winter. I battled the bugs the entire time. So now I make it a Fall ritual no matter how much I hate it. This system does not guarantee my plants stay healthy, but I have not had a problem since I started doing this. Here is a picture of one of my long gone Bananas:
This post is the second part of a post I wrote Titled "Bring Your Houseplants Inside but Leave the Bugs Outside". Here is a link to that post if you would like to visit it and check it out before you start: http://sproutsandstuff.blogspot.com/2014/09/bring-your-houseplants-inside-but-leave.html
During that time fill the spray bottle with water. Add a dash of Dawn and a pinch of Epsom salts.
Now, spray the plant down with the spray bottle-make sure to spray the upper and lower leaves and also the stems.
After you have sprayed the entire plant down grab the sponge and start wiping the plant down. I usually wipe the upper then the lower leaves then the stems (as much as I can).
When the plant is all wiped down spray it off with the hose. Make sure to get it completely rinsed off.
If it has been at least 15 minutes or longer you can remove the pot from the "bath". Make sure to get help with this-the plant will be much heavier now that it has absorbed a bunch of water.
Let the plant drain completely before bringing in to the house. I always try to acclimate the plant so it doesn't go into shock. That usually means bringing it in at night and reducing the amount of daylight hours it has outside for about a week before I leave it inside for the winter. Here is my plant in his winter home:
For some reason my Schefflera is getting wide instead of tall. It is starting to take up too much room. Anyways, here is a pic of another plant I gave a "bath". His pot barely fit in the plastic tub.
Another bonus about soaking your plants in the water is they get a thorough watering before bringing them in. Remember to cut back on watering when you bring them in. Less sun, wind and growing means less need for water. Here's hoping they make it through another winter indoors:-))
Enjoyed the project?
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Published October 19th, 2014 12:46 PM
Comments
Join the conversation
4 of 6 comments
-
-
-
Douglas Hunt on Oct 21, 2014Your plants may well look forward to that annual spa treatment. Love your thorough directions.
-
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?