
Wow, there is lots of info to share about house plants and tropicals! My three part series turned into four parts… for now.
In central Virginia my plant move-in date is October 1. That is a good rule of thumb so I don’t get caught one night needing to do a mass plant rearrangement when the temperature suddenly dips to an uncomfortable level for tropicals. It’s amazing how much damage can be done to tender plants just in one night of cold temps.
Many of my foliage family members are quite large so it’s easier to manage the move when there is plenty of time available. It’s no simple task to move plants as large as my 12’ tall x 7’ wide weeping fig tree (Ficus benjamina.) The little guys of course are a piece of cake.
About a month before the move-in, I start to prepare the plants for their winter stay indoors. The conditions will be very different, and some preparation will help ease the transition. Here are some helpful steps to follow:
Although I use chemicals as little as possible, sometimes there is no other highly effective alternative to control pesky insects. Because of their hard shell, scale insects are a particularly resistant critter that may require drastic measures, or the big guns as I call it. Here is a link for some info from my Alma mater: http://www.entnemdept.ufl.edu/fasulo/woodypest/scales.htm
Bring your beauties in and enjoy. They clean the air and add great ambiance and living energy to your home or office!
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