BRINGING PLANTS INDOORS
BRINGING PLANTS INDOORS (IN THE FALL)
Homeowners often dig up bedding plants and bring them indoors just BEFORE the FIRST KILLING FROST in the fall. The most commonly salvaged plants include: wax begonias, coleus, impatiens, and geraniums.
Methods differ with the plant that is to be salvaged. When moving inside wax begonias, coleus, and impatiens; it is important to select vigorous, healthy plants and to dig them up carefully. When they have been removed from the soil, place the root mass in a 5- to 6-inch pot, filling it with a standard potting soil. The tops should be pruned back to the main branches (within four to six inches of the soil mass). Water each pot, using a standard houseplant fertilizer and place them in bright light. Insects and diseases such as powdery mildew should be detected as soon as possible. When inside, continue pinching out the tops to promote branching and remember to turn the plants occasionally to prevent their becoming one-sided.
SOURCE:
L. Taylor, Hortopics: 10/82
