Time to start winterizing the plants

End of summer is here

It’s been a while now since I’ve checked in and the summer is nearly over. I hope you have enjoyed the summer. For us down in Grass Valley there have been some 117 degree days, and some of our plants did not make it through the heatwave.

The plant collection for me has been fairly mellow this year, a little more mindful that I’ll need to bring them inside as it gets colder. Survivors from last year are the marble pothos, my fiddle leaf fig, spotted magnolia and my cactus. Going into the winter will be my watermelon leaf plant, Rattlesnake plant, hibiscus, columbine, tomatoes, oregano and a mysterious plant I forgot to label.

With this change of season comes the plant migration into the house like mentioned before. I am doing my search to optimize my plant organization for the winter. I will be looking for sustainable, small space solutions for my plants.

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Bringing in our plant friends

Propagation Station

We need a propagation station. It’s hard sometimes though some plants can’t last over the winter, we can catch them in a way if shock sets in from the change of environment. We do this by making clones! My choice for this in our small space would likely be these nice little vials that you can mount on the wall.

The seemingly inevitable gnats

I find that my plants every now and then get gnats. There are many things that allow them to thrive and many ways to get rid of the little pests. A popular option is sticky traps.

These are not the most aesthetic option and not the only solution. Bottom watering after letting the soil dry out is a good regular practice to have though from time to time it just seems easier to top water.

There is the option of cinnamon sprinkled on top of the soil, diatomaceous earth (not little friendly), the 1/3 peroxide 2/3 water mix in a spray bottle. Lastly and my favorite at the moment is eliminating soil all together.

My spotted magnolia has had issues with so many things and I have most definitely thought about just ending my relationship with her so many times. From fungus gnats, fungus fungus, some sort of virus that made dark spots on her leaves, and the dreaded root rot. She definitely started my journey with getting rid of soil.

She now resides in Fluval plant stratum

The regular roots end up shriveling and the leaves droop for a short period of time and then they grow water roots. These will be white roots that start growing and the plant will perk up shortly. When transferring the plant it’s a good idea to rinse the roots of all soil and spray down with the 1/3 peroxide 2/3 water solution to get rid of any possible bacteria. I then place my plants into the Fluval stratum in a glass container creating a minimal and sleek look.

Fertilizer

For nutrients for my plants I utilize my fish tank water or just directly my water plant fertilizer.

I recommend a side draining pot if you want to still use the decorative pots instead of ditching the soil. This will help you bottom water and for the soil to dry and not trap in moisture and cause root rot and prime gnat habitat.

I also really enjoy these stacking pots for when the propagations need to be shifted to pots.

I also really enjoy the idea of a small hydroponics system. This one is under $40 and it would be perfect for a small counter space or on a shelf.

For outdoor plants

For smaller outdoor plants I’ve seen people cut them down to help them go dormant. This really depends on the plants you have. I’ve see people use a heavy soil cover to retain moisture and to insulate the roots. I’ve seen burlap to wrap tree trunks, to wrapping bushes, and I’ve seen small pop up greenhouse systems.

For larger in ground plants

I wish you luck in your colder days to come. I hope that your plants that move into your home are cozy, there’s no gnats (plant fleas) come into your indoor plant haven. I do recommend isolating the outdoor plants from your indoor plants initially if you can. I do see these butterfly nets as an option for smaller plants.

Similarly they do have popup insulated plant covers

I hope this helps in your plant journey. Check out some other posts if you’d like