Gardening: Bringing outdoor plants in for the winter? Get them prepped now

Akua Lum-Resse has a bit of a challenge on her hands as she prepares to bring her large collection of succulents back into the house before the frosts hit.

Late last year, Lum-Resse moved a large collection of succulents up from Los Angeles after her mother died.

“I wanted them to survive because they were hers,” she said. “But I know we have a very different climate here.”

Unfortunately, she didn’t have names for the plants so she couldn’t determine if they were hardy to leave out over the winter. So being better to be safe than sorry, she is planning to bring them into her bright sun room before the temperatures drop to freezing.

Sound familiar to those of you who have houseplants that live outdoors in the summer?

Bringing houseplants back indoors takes a little planning.

The first step is to make sure they are well watered and free of bugs and other hitchhikers.

More than once, I’ve had tree frogs hitch a ride indoors and begin chirping in the middle of the night. Look closely for mites, spit bugs and aphids. Badly infested plants should not be brought back in as the bugs can establish themselves in other plants. For mild cases, a good wash down with a hard stream of water will knock off the pests. You can also apply systemic insecticides that are taken up by the plants and kill insects feeding on them.

If you have plants that need repotting, do it now so they have a few weeks to settle into their new pots before they come indoors. The new pot should not be more than a couple of inches bigger than the old one. Use a good quality potting mix designed for your particular plants. Because Lum-Resse has a lot of succulents, she plans to use a cactus soil mix mixed with a little coir fiber that will allow excess water to drain quickly to prevent root rot.

Don’t fertilize the plants until late March and be careful not to overwater them. It will take some experimentation to find the right levels, especially for fleshy succulents. A good measure is to insert your index finger to the first joint in the soil. If the tip of your finger is dry, water the plant. That might mean two to three weeks between waterings. Don’t let water stand in the saucer after watering, as that can lead to root rot.

Even though most houseplants go dormant in the winter, they still need a good amount of light to stay healthy. A space with good south-facing windows is ideal. The plants will need to be within a couple of feet of the light to get what they need. If you have to store them in a darker space that doesn’t get good light, invest in some 4-foot-long LED shop lights and a timer. Hang the lights to within a foot of the plants and set the time to run 14 to 16 hours a day.