Spring Cleaning Time for Houseplants

This is a great time to reinvigorate your indoor plants. Dust and grime may have accumulated on their leaves. Some could use a good pruning, others may have outgrown their pots. After being cooped up all winter, there’s nothing like spending some time in the warm summer air. It’s great for you and your plants.

Some things you'll need: pruning scissors, potting soil, a soft sponge or cloth rag, some new pots, fertilizer, insect spray, leaf shine. Select a shady spot and give your plants a good bath. Use a spray bottle or watering can (the hose water may be to cold). Gently wipe each leaf clean with your sponge or rag. This is a good time to check your plant's health. You're looking for signs of insect damage or disease. If you find problems, using a triple action product that treats for insects, mites and fungus, will help resolve many issues. Remove any leaves that are stunted or have lost their color. Take time to check the plants roots by sliding the plant out of its pot. Are the roots white or are they black and kind of smelly. Does the soil feel light and fluffy or dense. Are the roots pushed up tightly against the pot.

You may encounter any or all of these conditions.

 

  If you decide your plant needs repotting, go to the next largest size. Make sure the pot drains. No matter how careful you are, water will build up in containers that don't drain. This is disastrous for your plant! Use a good potting soil. You want the plant to fit in the new container at the same level it was in the old pot, so add soil accordingly. Next, feed your plant with a well-balanced fertilizer (such as 20-20-20). Plants are in a growth mode right now, so feeding them every 7 to 10 days will ensure they have the nutrients they need for the summer months ahead.  Using a leaf shine will restore luster and help prevent dust and grime from settling.  Your plants will benefit from these activities and respond with renewed growth and flowering. 

 

 

 

A peachy choice for bees and hummingbirds.

In the British Isles, foxglove is also called folk's-glove, elf-cap or fairy-cap. The "wee-folk" wear the flowers as hats and gloves and sometimes petticoats. It is said that the spots found within the flowers mark the places the elves and fairies have touched. Foxglove has low-growing foliage topped by tall spikes of tubular flowers. Dalmatian Peach is a soft apricot-peach with pale, delicate spotting, flowering mainly in the summer months. Because of their height, they are suitable for the back row of your perennial bed. They will flourish in full sun to light shade. Prepare the bed by amending the soil with peat and compost. Mulch the soil well after the plants emerge.  Foxglove will attract bees and hummingbirds. They are deer resistant and make excellent cut flowers. Foxglove plants do best over the long term if they can be left undisturbed.