Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
aker_gw

Bringing plants in?

aker
15 years ago

Hi,

I want to bring some tropicals in for the winter and am wondering how not to bring in a bunch of insects?

Any suggestions?

Thank you

Aker

Comments (8)

  • amelia_pepper_lady
    15 years ago

    LIZARDS!

    Seriously, I haven't been able to solve the problem. The insects seem to come in with the plants. In all honesty, I do allow lizards to live among the plants. They seem to keep the insect population down and don't bother me. (I realize that many people wouldn't want lizards in the house but it works for me.)

  • rjinga
    15 years ago

    what about giving them a good blast with the hose, let them dry out on the driveway or deck? then bring them in. assuming they can handle a good blast.

  • mcbdz
    15 years ago

    Not sure if I'm any more help, but I usually spray mine down for a couple of weeks before they are due to come in. That give you a chance hopefully to catch what you missed with just one spry down.
    Pattie

  • mersiepoo
    15 years ago

    I got aphids inside one year..had to meticulously go over every leaf and squish them all! I got a plant from a greenhouse (I won't mention who), and they gave me a plant with thrips! Lucky for me not all my plants were inside, so I'm meticulously going over the leaves every single day killing the nymphs and adult thrips.....sigh! I'd spray, but it's too cold for that now. :(

  • ericjwi
    15 years ago

    We had a great time getting rid of spiders for 2-3 weeks after we took the plants inside for IKE. They were only in the house about 36 hours or so.

  • funinthesunincl
    15 years ago

    It's EASY!!!! Give your plants a bath--a bubble bath before you bring them in. I live in Houston now and really don't have to bring my plants in for the winter--if a cold snap comes here--we just put them in the garage. Anyway...in another life, I used to live up north where we would have to bring in the plants - Zone 5/6 - anyway...
    A very good friend of mine, a Master Gardner Extradinaire, showed me years ago what she did. She would take her plants one by one, on a nice day, and give them a bath. She would fill up a clean bucket with water and several drops of Ivory Liguid, have two new square sponges about 4 x 6 inches, and she would first start by soaking the sponges in the sudsy water and clean the top and the bottom of each leaf (plant leaf sandwiched between the two sponges) with several swipes of the sponges. Then she would take the remainder of the sudsy water and flush the soil in the pot with it. This always kept the critters at bay for her large plant collection before bringing them indoors and worked for me also. Doesn't cost much to do it, you have to use a little muscle, bathe several plants a day, and before long, all your plants are sparkling clean, critter free, and inside the house sheltered from the cold winter weather.

    Hope you give it a try!!! :)

    MJ

  • Boca_Joe(zone 7b) southern Delaware
    15 years ago

    Hi Aker,

    I bring in dozens of plants each year, and never have seen more than an occasional spider.

    I do the following:

    I cut most of the plants back severely. Most people do not bother with this because they want to save the plant or a bloom or two. It's crucial. Most of the bugs are on the outer branches anyhow.

    I blast them with water from the hose once or twice. No soaps no sprays.

    I thoroughly clean the outside and bottom of the pots.

    I also flush the pots with water and let everything dry out for a day or two then bring inside.

    has worked for me for years...

    Boca Joe

  • koicool1
    15 years ago

    the Lizard thing sounds a little too "out there" for me but I just bring the plants in after I have thoroughly rinsed each leaf off with water. This approach is a bit more time consuming than turning some lizards out in your home but it is far more sanitary.

Sponsored
Grow Landscapes
Average rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars8 Reviews
Planning Your Outdoor Space in Loundon County?