Georgia Magazine - December 2011 - (Page 28)

Saving for spring Overwintering your plants By Lynn COuLter verwintering plants can be tricky. If you moved your houseplants outside this past summer to “vacation” in the sun and fresh air, you may have noticed that they dropped some leaves when you brought them back in. Or maybe you potted up a few of your frost-tender garden favorites, but they’re just not thriving indoors. Many things can affect indoor plants, from overwatering to underwatering, or insufficient light and humidity. Fertilizing can be a problem, too, if salts that burn sensitive leaves and roots accumulate on pots or in the soil. The good news is that you can do a few things to keep your plants going until spring. First, if you haven’t done so already, check your plants for bugs or diseases that might have sneaked Instead of trying to overwinter large, potted geraniums, take cuttings and root them for next year. After the roots form, in about 10 to 20 days, pot them in a standard potting mix. 28 into the house with them. Some pests can be dislodged by knocking them off with a stream of water from the kitchen faucet. Others may need to be treated with an oil-based insecticide. Read product labels before you buy to make sure what you apply is safe for use in your home. To keep tender perennials going, overwinter them by allowing them to go dormant, rather than trying to actively grow them as houseplants. Pots of lavender and rosemary, for example, can spend the winter in an unheated garage or basement, where the temperature doesn’t go below 20 degrees or above 40 degrees. Just prune them back to a manageable size and water sparingly, so they don’t completely dry out. Many ferns can also make it through the winter with the same treatment. But ferns tend to drop their fronds and make a mess, and they can be slow to recover when they go back outside. Light-loving plants like geraniums can grow indoors if you have a very bright room that stays cool, but doesn’t freeze. If you can’t provide that, take cuttings instead, and leave the mother plants outside. Simply sterilize a razor blade or scissors More online at www.georgiamagazine.org Above: Grouping plants together helps raise the surrounding humidity. You can also add water to saucers or trays filled with pebbles, as long as the plants do not touch the water. As the water evaporates, it will help offset the dry air of your heated home. Left: Know which begonia you’re overwintering. Give rhizomatous, cane and bedding begonias bright light, water sparingly and they’ll keep growing. Rex begonias need moderate water and high humidity. in alcohol and take 6- to 8-inch-long cuttings from your geranium’s newest, healthiest growth. Make each cutting just below the node of a stem, leaving one or two small leaves. Next, make a small hole in a container filled with potting mix. Dip the cutting in water and then in rooting hormone, which can be purchased from a garden center. Gently put the cuttings in the potting mix and tamp around them. Water lightly, cover with a plastic bag and keep them out of direct sunlight. Check them regu- December gardening tips • Keep holiday poinsettias in bright, indirect light, and away from drafts. • Prune muscadines from now to February. • Turn houseplants periodically so they don’t lean in the direction of the light. • Plant fruit trees, ornamental trees and shrubs. • Keep your lawn raked so leaves and pine straw won’t become matted and suffocate the grass. GEORGIA MAGAZINE LYnn CouLTeR http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - December 2011

Georgia Magazine - December 2011
Contents
Viewpoint
Mailbox
Georgia News
Picture This?
Calendar of Events
Currents
Magical Nights, Holiday Lights
Between the Covers
Around Georgia
My Georgia
Georgia Cooks
Snapshot

Georgia Magazine - December 2011