| You might not be able to move the whole pot or basket inside, but you can take part of each plant. Divide the rootball into manageable chunks and pot them up in containers you can put in bright but indirect sunlight in your home. You will have to cut back the foliage by a third. Don't worry, it will grow back. Give away the rest to neighbors and friends. Now is the time to do it. Also, to aclimate the plants to moving into a house and out of direct outdoor sun, you need to put the divided plants onto a shady porch now and leave them there until fall. Water lightly as you have been, and don't be surprised if the plants drop some leaves -- they are adjusting to a new setting. Check them for bugs and give them a hosing off or a spray of horticultural soap/oil before bringing them in, then move them to their winter home before nights drop below 50 degrees F. They will go into semidormancy in a cool, bright room, and won't require much care. In the spring, when night temps are above 50F, you can move them back onto the porch for a couple of weeks, then back into part sun, and then full sun. They will start filling out, and you can pot them up again in their original containers. They will fill it before midsummer. Or, you could board the plants as they are now, with a friend who has a greenhouse or sunroom, and save yourself the trouble! |
