Most gardeners have probably brought their houseplants inside by now. But some of us have been lulled into laziness by the unseasonably warm weather we’ve had this fall. It is recommended that plants be brought inside when nighttime temperatures dip to 45 degrees or so. But unless your plants have already succumbed to a hard frost, there’s still time to move them indoors.
Before bringing plants in, it’s important to debug them and clean their pots. Bugs outside are tolerable, as long as they’re not damaging your plants. But when bugs come inside, they are a colossal nuisance. If you brought plants inside without debugging them, you can still undertake this relatively simple job. It’s best done outside. Make sure your pots have holes in the bottom before you start.
Here’s how:
Fill a large tub with water and a few squirts of a gentle soap. For a tub, you can use a large garden trug. Liquid baby soap is a good choice for soap. Make sure it’s not a detergent or a grease cutter, because that’s likely to kill your plants.
Next, submerge your plants (one at a time, depending on their size) in the water, pots and all. Let them soak for 20 minutes. This soaking will kill bugs. You’ll see dead leaves, bugs and other plant debris float to the surface. Use a mesh skimmer to remove these materials from the water so they don’t stick to your plants as you remove them from the tub.
Scrub the outsides of your pots with a stiff brush and rinse the plants and pots with a gentle spray from a hose. Let them dry and drain completely before settling them inside.
If your plant is too big to submerge completely, spray the top leaves with insecticidal soap. You can make your own by mixing a teaspoon of gentle soap with one liter of water in a spray bottle. You can also do this by hand with a soft cloth instead of spray.
If your plant is really big and won’t go into the tub at all, you can clean it with insecticidal soap and then rinse with a hose. I have been known to put ficus trees and other large houseplants into the shower and spray them with the shower head. If you have a hand-held shower, so much the better. Whether or not you try this depends on who you live with and whether they mind sharing their shower with plants and their garden debris. My mother always referred to this kind of dirt as “clean dirt,” but that’s a subjective judgment.
Once your plants are in, be careful not to give them too much water. Their cleansing soak has already watered them thoroughly. The leading cause of houseplant death — especially in winter — is over-watering. As summer wanes, plants receive less sunlight and naturally slow their growth. Plants that are not actively producing new growth need less water. Keep in mind that plants that live outdoors in summer also need less water when they come inside because they’re not exposed to wind. Test your potted plants for dryness by sticking your finger into the soil. They only need water when the soil is dry an inch below the surface. When you water, water well, and then leave them alone till the soil is dry again. You don’t want to kill your plants with kindness.
Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge is hosting two popular seasonal workshops next month:
Bark And Buds: Winter Identification Of Trees And Shrubs
You might think that the garden has nothing exciting to offer in fall and winter. But that’s far from true. On Dec. 9 From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., BBG will offer a workshop on identifying the many plants that lend bark, buds, fruit and structural interest to the garden in fall and winter. Brad Roeller, a landscape garden supervisor for Altamont Estate in New York and former garden manager for the New York Botanical Garden, will show how to identify winter trees by twig and bud anatomy, bark features and plant architecture.
This class will be indoors primarily and participants will work with collected specimens. Class enrollment is limited. Bring a bag lunch and dress for limited outdoor fieldwork. The cost is: members, $25; nonmembers, $30.
Herbal gift making
Also on Dec. 9, from 1 to 3 p.m., BBG is holding a workshop on the craft of homemade herbal gift making. The session will be led by local farmer and herbalist Jen Salinetti, who co-owns and operates Woven Roots Farm, a bio-intensive farm and CSA in Tyringham that grows vegetables and culinary and medicinal herbs using regenerative, no-till farming practices. Participants will make and take home holiday gifts, including loose tea blends, sachets, air fresheners, bath salts and sugar scrubs.
The cost is: members, $15; nonmembers, $20. The materials fee is $20 (to be paid to the instructor at the beginning of the class)
For more information and to register for these workshops, go to: berkshirebotanical.org. Pre-registration is advised. Walk-ins are welcome as space allows.
Following its major trail day in July, Kestrel Trust invites the public to join in a second day of trail work Sunday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Kestrel’s new 65-acre Westhampton property has a user-made trail system that needs to be improved and formalized. Volunteers will work with several Kestrel-led crews taking on tasks throughout the property, including improving existing footpaths, installing blazes and signs, and getting rid of some invasive plants.
Work gloves, tools and water refill station will be provided. Bring a water bottle and wear closed-toe shoes, long pants and weather-appropriate clothing and gear.
Volunteers are welcome to stay for a picnic lunch onsite and explore the property’s lovely woods with its wildlife, “fairy trees” and shady brook. As a special treat during lunch, volunteers will be able to observe two young oxen trained for stewardship work. The oxen will be led by Kestrel board member Tom Jenkins and his son. The oxen team, named Timber and King, will be helping with a clean-up task in the forest that morning, along with a local Boy Scout troop.
Details and directions will be provided after you RSVP. Sign up is required: Email jill@kestreltrust.org or call 413-549-1097.
Mickey Rathbun can be reached at foxglover8@gmail.com.