Polk County Master Gardeners
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First Aid for House Plants
This morning I had a serious attack of guilt when I realized that a couple of
pot plants on my deck and a hanging basket needed considerably more TLC than I
had been giving them. After so much rain for so long, I had rejoiced in the
sunshine and forgotten about the plants.
Plants in pots and particularly those in hanging baskets need water much more
frequently than those in large beds where they can tap into moisture in the soil
around them. Not much help in that plastic pot or wire basket! But usually even
sadly drooping plants can be revived if they are not completely dead.
The first thing is to clip off dead flowers and leaves and cut back yellowing
stems and leaves. This will encourage the plant to produce new shoots. If the
plant is in really bad shape, you should even clip off buds that will be opening
soon because the plant will recover faster if it is not trying to support buds
and flowers as well.
If the soil is thoroughly dry, it may be difficult to get it moist again - the
water simply runs off without wetting the soil. If this is the case, run a large
container of tepid water (a large sink works fine) and add just a drop or two of
dishwashing liquid. Mix it well and set the plants (pot or basket and all) in
the water for at least an hour. Mist the plants a time or two while they soak.
Be careful to protect the stems so they do not break - they are fragile when dry.
Do not feed the plants for about a week to give them time to recover before
trying to send out new shoots. Check them carefully for insects or signs of
disease. They are more susceptible to damage because they are weakened. Treat
them as soon as possible if you spot a problem. They should be back in top form
in a few weeks.
And now I will put “WATER THE POT PLANTS” on my calendar to avoid a repeat
performance.
By Barbara M. Tobias
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