With fall here and freezing temperatures approaching, potted plants should be brought indoors. Do not bring them straight inside. You may bring unwanted pests along with them. Sprinkle a granular systemic insecticide on the soil. Spray the foliage with insecticidal soap and keep the plant in a protected area outdoors or in the garage. Do not leave in the sun. After a few days, bring indoors.
The most common insects affecting interior plants are aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs, mites and scale. Aphids work on the stems and underside of the leaves. The leaves can become sticky showing a black, sooty mold. The leaves will curl, disfigure and turn yellow.
Whitefly is a small white, winged, sucking insect that works on the underside of the leaves. Infestation can occur quickly with masses of eggs. The plant will turn yellow and have a mottled appearance.
Mealybugs are white, wooly masses like a ball of cotton. They will appear at nodes and the undersides of the leaves. The plant will have a faded yellow appearance. They can be controlled by dipping a Q-tip in alcohol and swabbing the insect and removing from plant.
Mites look like very small spiders on the bottom side of the leaves. They suck the plant juices causing the plant to become a faded yellow. The best way to see the mites is to hold a piece of white paper under a leaf. Flick the leaf and then move your finger over the paper. You should see streaks of red.
Scale in the mature stage attacks the stems and leaves of plants. They look like small white, gray or brown lumps. The leaves turn yellow and the plant will lose vigor. Maintaining a clean environment can control them. They can be removed by rubbing with a soap solution.
All the above pests can be treated with insecticides labeled for indoor plants. It is important to keep a watchful eye on your plants as the pests can quickly take over. Some of the home improvement centers have a foliar feed that is made from worm castings and will do wonders for the plants with a weekly misting. Healthy plants will help with the winter doldrums.
Linda Sargent, Smith County Master Gardener
Texas Cooperative Extension
One of the splendors of winter is the refreshing scent of paper white narcissus. Standing tall in bowls or pots, gloriously white, they can be your winter garden. By the middle of November, start the bulbs in any sunny window sill or bright sunny room. About four to five weeks later, when they bloom, their fragrance- will be your first Christmas present.
After purchasing your bulbs, store them in a cool, dry place; or place them in the refrigerator for at least two weeks. This cool period will help condition and prepare the bulbs for blooming. When ready to plant, put a layer of' peat moss or horticultural charcoal in the bottom of a pot or bowl. Add pebbles, gravel or crushed marble to within 1/2 to 1 inch of the top of the container.
Nestle the bulbs in the gravel 1/2 to 1 inch apart. Place in good light, filling with water to the top of the gravel. Keep the water level at this height. When the flower shoots are about six inches high, water the bulbs several times a week. If you prefer, repot the bulbs, using well-drained potting soil and planting three-fourths deep into the soil. Water frequently using water soluble fertilizer. Special vases are also available for forcing bulbs.
Try paper-white or any narcissus, crocus, daffodils or amaryllis.
Linda Whetsell, Smith County Master Gardener
Paperwhites make beautiful decorations for your home or to take to a friend. They also make an excellent project for children to create and watch.
The term "forcing" might be better expressed as "fooling" since what you really do is fool the bulb into thinking that winter is over and it is time to bloom. Paperwhites are the easiest indoor bulbs to force, and are usually available at local nurseries and home improvement centers, or through catalogs.
Paperwhites are best grown in a shallow pot or bowl with no drainage holes in the bottom. Fill the pot 2/3 full with gravel, small stones, or even fun things like colored beads or marbles. Place as many paperwhite bulbs as will fit on top of the gravel, with the pointed side up. Then fill in gravel around the bulbs, leaving the top halves exposed. Add water up to the base of the bulbs and maintain it at this level. Place the pot in a cool area.
Within a few days, roots will appear. When green shoots appear, move the pot to a cool, sunny spot. Sit back and watch them grow and bloom.
Linda Whetsell, Smith County Master Gardener
Although our winters are considered mild by northern standards, it does get dreary and wet in January and February. Forcing spring bulbs indoors will provide you a cheery pot of flowers when everything else outside is bare and brown. Now is the time to begin preparation.
The easiest bulbs to force are crocuses, hyacinths, and daffodils. Tulips can be forced, but they are more finicky than the others and require a much longer chilling period.
Buy large firm bulbs at a nursery and use 6" pots. A 6" pot will hold 3 hyacinths, 6 daffodils, 6 tulips, or 12 crocuses. Put 3" of a peat-based compost at the bottom of the pot and set the bulbs on it. The bulbs should be placed close together, but they should not touch each other, nor should they touch the sides of the container. Do not force the bulbs down into the compost.
Fill the pot with more compost, pressing it firmly but not too tightly around the bulbs. When you have finished, the tips of the bulbs should be just above the surface, and, there should be about ¼" between the top of the compost and the top of the container. Water so that the growing medium is damp, but not soggy.
The bulbs need a cold, frost-free period in the dark. A temperature of 40F is ideal. The refrigerator is an ideal place to chill the bulbs. The proper chill time varies with the type of bulb that is being forced. Crocuses are chilled for six weeks, daffodils and hyacinths need 12-14 weeks, and tulips require 16 weeks. Check occasionally to make sure that the growing medium is still moist and that growth has not started.
When the shoots are one to two inches tall, it is time to move the container into a cool room indoors. 50F is ideal, but temperatures between 60 and 65 F will be sufficiently cool. Place in a shady spot for a couple of days and then move near a sunny window for a few days. The leaves will begin to develop, and in seven to ten days, flower buds will begin to form. When the buds begin to color, move the container to the chosen site for flowering. This should be a bright, sunny place that is free from drafts and away from radiators or heating ducts. Keep the growing medium moist at all times, turn the container occasionally to promote even growth, and enjoy your spring flowers in the midst of winter's gloom.
Andie Rathbone, Smith County Master Gardener
Texas Cooperative Extension
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