Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show; Bringing houseplants back in the house
Your houseplants that spend the growing season outdoors should be inside by now or they’re likely toast. My area south of Mpls/St. Paul had just a smidgen of snow but Up North, you guys had a bit more!
Hopefully you brought them indoors and checked for “travelers” such as plant debris and bugs. Use a loop or magnifying glass with a light to check under the leaves.
If you find webbing, egg sacs or anything that doesn’t look right, use a cotton swab and dab them off.
Click for more information from the University of Minnesota Extension. Below I’m swishing my Thanksgiving cactus… notice the plastic wrap to hold in the soil… granted this guy was NOT outside, but it might give you an idea of what’s possible.
The pots were likely dirty too. It’s important to give them a real good once or twice over and clean them off. Depending on what your weather conditions are (as they vary throughout the Upper Midwest right now), you could lightly hose them down outdoors or bring them into a shower or your laundry tub.
If the plant has outgrown it’s pot, then now is a good time to repot it. That means step up one size, you don’t want to go to big, and use new soil. When your plant is out of the pot, take a peek at the roots, they should be creamy white and firm. If there are SOME that are yellow or maybe a little smelly, prune them out. If there’s a lot, let the plant go…
If your plant doesn’t need repotting, DO check all around and underneath, including the saucer if it has one. If there are any damaged leaves or branches, prune them out. It’s time to give them a fresh start!
Remember too that it takes time for those plants to readjust to the lighting and atmosphere of your home! Cut ‘em some slack.