House Plants Need
A Gradual Change
For those whose house plants have been
benefiting from summering in the out-of-doors, it L<
time to plan the move indoors, before the heating
system needs to be turned on.
Since the plants will suffer from radical change in
their environment with excessive leaf and blossom
loss, gradual change in their exposure is preferred.
Moving them by degrees from their bright, sunny
spots outdoors—first to a protected shady porch or
patio for a while, and then indoors—is quite helpful.
Plant specialists with the N. C. Botanical Garden '
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
say that, in the moving process, it is a good idea to
check the plants for insects. Even a few pests
brought indoors in a single pot can infest all the
other houseplants. Scrubbing the outsides of the
pots to remove clinging soil and lurking pests is
desirable, as is spraying the plants with an insecti
cide to decrease the change of moving insects into
the house.
The whole purpose of the step-by-step moving
process is to acclimate the plant to the drier house
environment before the even drier furnace heat
takes over. Frequent mist spraying lessens the
shock.
Some house plant fanciers place their pots in
trays of pebbles kept moist to provide desirable
humidity. With all this, it should be kept in mind
that it is part of some plants' natural cycle to slow
down in the fall. There will be some leaf fall and
paling. There is no need to fertilize the plant with
such symptoms.
This also is the season to make cuttings of favorite
outdoor plants like coleus, impatiens and begonia,
to save over the winter for next year. Some of these
provide pleasant indoor decoration and some, like
impatiens, will bloom attractively.
Cuttings, first rooted in water or directly into a
soil-peat-vermiculite mixture in pots, are easy to
grow. Pinching them back frequently during the
winter will encourage full, bushy growth. New
plants should be ready for transplanting out-of
doors in the spring.
Herb gardeners should remember that some of
their favorites must also come inside for the winter:
aloa vera, bay, lemon grass, lemon verbena, fruit
scented and pineapple sages and all varieties of
scented geranium.
These should be potted up with clean soil in clean
pvtw Seated much the same as other plants
brc - Special attention, however, should
bt <*« - ■ problems, because these fragrant
plants arc a .ve to white fly infestation.
The few t iteps given to all plants moved in
doors for the v, Jiter are worth the bit of extra effort.
They will beautify the house on cold winter days and
will live to provide outdoor enjoyment next year.
Make Bug Battle
A 12-Month Effort
While you are battling
the garden bugs this
summer, consider the
steps you can take be
tween now and next
season to cut down on
the insect population.
Control is a 12-month ef
fort.
North Carolina State
University extension
horticulturists suggest
the following:
—This fall, remove
and destroy or deeply
bury vines, stalks and
all other crop residue as
soon as harvest is com
pleted.
—Next time, select
varieties of crops —
when available — that
are resistant to some of
the pests you are obser
ving in the garden this
year.
—Keep the weeds and
grass down, not just in
the garden but around it
as well. All kinds of
pests lurk in tall grass
and weeds.
— Hand-pick and
destroy insects when
practical.
—Use mechanical
barriers when possible,
such as covering your
collards with cheese
cloth to keep off the
diamondback moth and
other pests.
—Take stock of the
kinds of pests you've got
this year and make
notes for next year.