House Plants On the Move

[catapault]

Happy autumnal equinox greetings. Today / tonight are equal length, 12 hours each. After this, in the northern hemisphere at least, it slooowly shifts to more dark than light. There's been discussion of "when do you turn the heat on?" And . . .

Know what? It's time to think about shifting vacationing house plants back indoors. How many do you have? What kinds? Preparations for the big move? Ready, set, go!

If they are in full sun move to shade for a week or 10 days so the adjustment to indoors is not so abrupt. Check for pests, treat as necessary. Clean pots, wash saucers.

And think how lovely the greenery will be, indoors, this winter when it's darker, colder, snowier.

 

[Furballsmom]

I've read your posts of the amazing work you do outside. I'm about half envious

Ready, set, go!

Anyway, I don't have any to bring in. I have some in the yard that will reseed and/or will regrow in their locations next spring, --some of which will need to be cut down although we're leaving quite a lot for the wild critters we have (birds, squirrels ), some new/expansions that we need to plan for (space requirements, seeds to buy), and some in pots which will be emptied and cleaned.

Roses, zinnias, clover, dianthus, sedum, larkspur, lupine, snow in summer, a couple different sunflowers and a couple others I don't recall the name and raspberries and blackberries.

My indoor plants stay in except for a day every three months or so when the weather is good and they (pothos) get a bath with the garden hose .

 

[catapault]

Furballsmom When the weather is too inclement (As I'm sure you well know, Colorado has some times of year with rather icy cold and snow. And it can come on fast, like overnight. I remember once, visiting friends in Littleton . . .) you can just haul the pothos into the bathtub and use the shower to refresh them.

 

[Furballsmom]

Awesome

 

[posiepurrs]

These are only part ( the bigger plants) that I had to drag back inside yesterday. We are supposed to have frost tonight, but the temperatures dropped into the mid 40s last night. Much to cold for these tropicals. Now I have to get busy and move them to their winter homes under grow lights. I don’t have enough lights so I will be shifting them in and out under the lights. I usually try to ‘harden them off’ to being indoors but this year they are just going to have to cope. The big ones are entirely to heavy to move see in and out repeatedly to get them accustomed. In case anyone is wondering, there is a hibiscus tree, bougainvillea, Stephanotis, 2 types of jasmine, olive tree, Norfolk Island pine and a cardamon plant. Behind all of those, on the counter I have several ferns, a ginger plant, a jasmine cuttings, and a couple if dragon fruit cactus.

 

[Winchester]

C catapault I was wondering when you were going to start bringing your plants in.
posiepurrs Wow! Beautiful! How does your jasmine do? And your bougainvillea? How do you keep the furkids away from your plants?

I took all the WeShed plants back into the WeShed a few weeks ago and never brought them back outside. They're doing OK.

Can I bring a Boston fern inside? How do I take care of it? Can I just clip it down and put it in the basement, water sparingly until spring? That's how I deal with my geraniums. Would that work? I don't have a spare window in the WeShed for the fern. But I can put it in a south-facing basement window with my geraniums.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I don't like houseplants so none for me! Most are far too viney or big for my taste and don't flower year round or anything to draw me to them. I love my outdoor flowers and I miss them a lot in the winter; but not enough to start keeping indoor plants.

My Dad has been trying to find someone to take an avocado tree they've had growing in a pot for the last 7 or so years. It's now taller than my stepmother and getting really hard to move. So far no one wants it.

 

[Furballsmom]

Can I bring a Boston fern inside?

As far as I know, yes

 

[Winchester]

My Dad has been trying to find someone to take an avocado tree they've had growing in a pot for the last 7 or so years. It's now taller than my stepmother and getting really hard to move. So far no one wants it.

As far as I know, yes

MoochNNoodles If I lived closer, I would take that avocado tree in a heartbeat.
Furballsmom Thanks! I'll have to research how to do it.

 

[denice]

MoochNNoodles If I lived closer, I would take that avocado tree in a heartbeat.
Furballsmom Thanks! I'll have to research how to do it.

A friend of mine who had a green thumb with indoor plants told me the best place she found for a Boston Fern was in the bathroom because it was warm and humid.

 

[catapault]

Winchester A fern is very different from a geranium, which is semi-succulent. The fern will dessicate, dry out, and die if treated like a geranium. The bathroom, as denice suggested, would be ideal.

It tiptoed just below 40 degrees Fahrenheit last night. Today the crinum and amarcrinum are moving in to the greenhouse. So very good it was re-roofed a week ago! It means moving my car out of the garage so the hand truck is easier to maneuver.

I know I cannot manage the 3 pots of red spot bananas by myself. One goes into the great room, so the furniture needs to shift into its winter configuration first. Last year one spent the winter dark and dry in the basement. The third pot wintered upstairs on the balcony bridge - we're discussing if it too should go in the great room or the basement.

Himself wants to do firewood this morning. With furniture glides I can do the great room rearrangement myself. Question is - do we two move a banana in there, or wait for Monday when our intermittent handyman is perhaps coming.

I'm getting too old for this!

 

[posiepurrs]

C catapault I was wondering when you were going to start bringing your plants in.
posiepurrs Wow! Beautiful! How does your jasmine do? And your bougainvillea? How do you keep the furkids away from your plants?

I took all the WeShed plants back into the WeShed a few weeks ago and never brought them back outside. They're doing OK.

Can I bring a Boston fern inside? How do I take care of it? Can I just clip it down and put it in the basement, water sparingly until spring? That's how I deal with my geraniums. Would that work? I don't have a spare window in the WeShed for the fern. But I can put it in a south-facing basement window with my geraniums.

Here is a photo of the bougainvillea. The edges of the leaves discolored some because it got to cold for it outside. It is in a 16-18 inch pot. It started out in a 21/2” pot many years ago. It is the only surviving plant from a visit to Logees Greenhouses in Connecticut.
A Boston fern will survive inside given enough humidity and light BUT you need to know it is going to make a mess!
Most of my houseplants are in a closed room away from the cats. I do rotate some out so they all get time with the grow lights. Cats, for the most part ignore them when I move them out.

 

[catapault]

One of the bananas was moved indoors today. There's a picture in the Name Three Things folder.

MoochNNoodles Is your dad aware that he can prune the avocado to control height? And if he unpots it - onto a tarp if it is already indoors - he can root prune it too.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

One of the bananas was moved indoors today. There's a picture in the Name Three Things folder.

MoochNNoodles Is your dad aware that he can prune the avocado to control height? And if he unpots it - onto a tarp if it is already indoors - he can root prune it too.

I'll have to ask if he's done that. It was pretty bushy in he last picture I saw of it.

 

[Winchester]

Unfortunately, our bathroom is small and the only window in there faces north. I have a small prayer plant on my side of the vanity that does OK with northern light, but I'm probably going to end up taking it out to the WeShed. There is simply no room for the fern.

I don't know if I could talk Rick into putting a hanger at the window. Again, it's just northern light.