Container Gardening Complete

Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 236 5/24/17 12:25 PM
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 237 5/24/17 12:25 PM

236 chapter 5

If the Plant Is in a State of

Active Growth

1. Spray all the foliage with a sharp stream of
   water from the hose to dislodge all pests.
   Make sure the foliage has a chance to dry
   completely before continuing.


2. Choose an indoor location for the plant
   where it will receive a good amount of sun,
   but for best results keep it out of direct
   sunlight. Keep tropical plants away from
   drafty spots like next to doors and forced
   air ducts.


3. If you place a saucer beneath the plant to
   protect furniture and flooring, never allow
   water to sit in the saucer for longer than a
   few hours. Doing so could lead to root rot
   and prevent the roots from accessing the air
   they need to thrive.


4. To water, move the entire pot to a bathtub
   or sink, if possible, and allow at least 20%
   of the water you put in the top of the pot
   to drain out the bottom. This flushes out
   fertilizer salts and prevents the tips of the
   foliage from turning brown from fertilizer
   salt accumulation. Wait until the potting
   soil is dry before watering. In general, indoor
   plants should be watered every week to 10
   days, depending on the humidity in your
   home and how warm you keep it during the
   winter months.


5. Don’t be surprised if many of the leaves
   fall off your plant soon after you bring it
   indoors. This is particularly true of plants
   like tropical hibiscus and gardenias. Don’t
   panic—just continue to care for the plant,
   and soon it will grow a whole new set of
   leaves. Some may even bloom.


6. Refrain from fertilizing overwintering
   tropical plants while they’re indoors.

Fertilization encourages new growth and

winter is not the best time to be encouraging

new foliage. Instead, hold off on fertilizing

the plants until early spring, when a period

of active growth starts and the plants begin

to make their way back outdoors.

7. Prune them only if you must. As you bring
   your tropical plants indoors for the winter,
   you may find that some of them hardly fit in
   the door! Fall is not the best time to prune
   these plants, but do it if you must. Otherwise
   wait until spring to do any pruning.


8. And lastly, keep a careful eye on your plants
   for any possible pest issues throughout the
   winter months. Aphids, mealybugs, scale,
   and other plant pests can quickly become
   problematic. Regularly inspect your tropical
   plants and treat them for any pests you
   happen to find by hand-crushing them or
   paying a visit to your local garden center for
   an appropriate organic pest control product.

If the Plant Is Dormant

Not all tropical plants can be overwintered in a

dormant state, but these two groups can.

Non-hardy bulbs and tubers, such as elephant

ears, caladiums, cannas, calla lilies, tuberous

begonias, dahlias, and sweet potato vines are

best overwintered as bare bulbs. Let the foliage

get frosted once or twice, then dig up the bulbs

or tubers, gently brush off any excess soil, label

them, and place them in a cardboard box or

plastic bin filled with slightly dampened peat

moss or perlite. Put the box where temperatures

range between 40° and 50°F. An attached, but

unheated garage or basement is ideal. When

spring arrives, replant them in your containers

after the danger of frost has passed.

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Harvesting and Seasonal Considerations 237

For non-hardy woody plants that can be

overwintered in a dormant state, such as jasmine,

brugmansia, plumaria, plumbago, and figs, move

them indoors before frost arrives. Use a sharp

stream of water to dislodge any pests and move

them into a cool location with little or no light.

Between 40° and 50°F is best. Soon after moving

indoors, the plants will drop all their leaves and

shift into dormancy. If there’s any light coming in,

cover the plants with a black trash bag. Water the

plants sparingly once every 6 to 8 weeks. When

spring arrives, repot the plants with new potting

soil/compost blend and do any necessary pruning.

Gradually increase the amount of light the plants

receive, introducing them to full sun conditions

slowly over the course of 4 to 6 weeks. Do not

move them outdoors full-time until the danger of

frost has passed.

Caladiums are quite easy to overwinter as bare bulbs. Once the foliage has been frosted, cut o the leaves and

store the bulbs in a box of peat moss.

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