What are the "Ten Musts" for bringing potted plants indoors
An introduction to the common knowledge of plant care, what are the "Ten Musts" for bringing potted plants indoors? Let's find out together next.
One, the timing of moving indoors should be appropriate. In the Beijing area, most herbaceous and woody potted plants are moved indoors around the time of Cold Dew, such as asparagus, kaffir lily, hanging bells, rubber tree, Chinese evergreen, hibiscus, calla lily, cyclamen, and turtleback bamboo; southern flowers should be moved indoors successively before Frost's Descent. In the Yangtze River Valley, flowers like jasmine,米兰, hibiscus, poinsettia, and begonias should be moved indoors by the end of October. For some cold-tolerant varieties, such as roses, pomegranates, oleanders, forsythias, and palm trees, they can be moved indoors in the northern region as long as it's not later than the beginning of November.
Two, pruning should be meticulous. Before moving indoors, some plants need to remove excessive branches, diseased branches, or dense branches, and some old branches can be shortened to adjust the tree posture and promote the growth of new branches. For climbing or weak-stemmed species like asparagus, forsythia, fireworks, cattleya, day lilies, and Chinese wistaria, it is necessary to tie and support them to shape and ventilate.
Three, disease and pest control should be thorough. Before moving indoors, strictly inspect the plants for diseases and pests, and take effective control measures promptly. For severely diseased potted plants, they should be isolated or destroyed.
Four, the placement position should be reasonable. Varieties that bloom in winter and spring, such as cyclamen, Christmas cacti, camellias, poinsettias, and light-loving plants like米兰, hibiscus, jasmine, and cacti should be placed near windows with ample light. Orchids, azaleas, turtleback bamboo, spider plants, and ferns, which do not adapt to strong sunlight, should be placed in well-ventilated and shaded areas. Some woody potted plants that hibernate in winter, such as roses, pomegranates, forsythias, crape myrtles, and peaches, can be placed in indoor corners or passageways, not lower than 0°C to safely overwinter.
Five, indoor temperature should be adjusted. For most potted plants cultivated at home, a room temperature of 12-20°C is suitable. Some southern flowers go through a process of low-temperature dormancy or semi-dormancy, during which room temperature should be kept from getting too high to avoid excessive nutrient consumption and affect flowering the following year, generally maintained between 5-15°C.
Six, avoid smoke and dust pollution. Potted plants indoors accumulate a lot of dust on their leaves, which can easily lead to pollution and affect photosynthesis. Therefore, indoors, attention should be paid to prevent smoke and dust pollution, and the leaves should be rinsed with warm water similar to room temperature.
Seven, increase air humidity. Excessively dry indoor air can easily cause plants to develop dry tips or drop buds and flowers, especially for flowers native to tropical, subtropical, and high mountain areas. Therefore, it is necessary to frequently spray water on the leaves and ground to increase indoor humidity.
Eight, control water and fertilizer supply. Except for varieties that bloom in winter and spring, most flowers should stop fertilizing after being moved indoors until the following spring. For plants entering dormancy, their metabolism slows down, and the supply of water and fertilizer should be strictly controlled.
Nine, improve ventilation conditions. Poor indoor ventilation can easily cause pests like scale insects, whiteflies, and rot, and the leaves are prone to excessive growth. It is best to open windows during sunny days, but care should be taken not to lower the room temperature too much during ventilation.
Ten, timely harvest and storage. For bulbous flowers cultivated outdoors in the north, such as gladioli, tuberoses, canna lilies, and dahlias, they should be dug out after the first frost, cleaned of soil, dried for a day or two, and then stored indoors. For potted dahlias, it is best to store them indoors for safety. For potted Hippeastrum, leave the pot as is, cut off the leaves, water thoroughly, and place it in a low-temperature area. Move it into a room with a temperature of 15-17°C about 40-50 days before the Spring Festival, and it will bloom at the same time as narcissus for the holiday display.
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