Growing Concerns: Don't risk frost losses, bring tropical, house plants in now

The nights are cooling down and there is often a heavy dew in the morning, so now is the time to bring your tropical or house plants back inside for the winter. I would not leave it much longer, because a frost could sneak up on us at any time. Everyone does this a bit differently. Here are the steps I take: I start first thing in the morning and set all my plants out on the driveway or porch and wash them down. I get out the garden hose and fill my garbage can half to three- quarters full of water and a batch of fertilizer. Then I dunk each plant in the pail until it’s completely submerged to wash off all insects, dirt and grime from the summer. I keep the plant in there until bubbles stop coming up, then lift it out and let as much water as possible drain back into the pail. Then I set them on the ground to finish draining and drying off. I like to do this on a warm, sunny day, because I inevitably end up getting wet. I may have to fill my can a few times to do all my plants. When you pull plants out, you may see insects floating in the water. That means they won’t be hitching a ride into the house with the plants. A few hours later, I spray my plants with insecticidal soap to make sure there are no insects hiding anywhere. Make sure you get the underside of the leaves as well. This can be messy, so it’s best done outside. Now it’s time to move the plants indoors. It is important to put them where they’ll get the most light. I have converted space in my guest room to house many of my plants. It’s not ideal because it has a north-facing window, but a few years back I put a grow light in there to help the plants. I didn’t want one of those big stands, so I put grow light bulbs into a floor lamp and use a timer to turn the light on about 4 p.m. and off at 11 p.m. daily. This has really helped my plants survive the winter. Some people will cut their plants back when they bring them inside, but I like to wait about a month or so before I do that, because some plants become very stressed once moved. This gives them a chance to adjust before they are stressed from being cut back. When you cut plants back, never take more than 1/3 of growth off at a time. So don’t risk losing everything to a frost — bring those plants indoors now. Growing Concerns is produced by Parkway Gardens. Send your gardening questions to Homes, c/o The London Free Press, 210 Dundas St., Suite 201, London, Ont., N6A 5J3