Dealing with scale on citrus trees and other plants

You can’t expect to grow a robust lemon tree outdoors in most zones colder than zone 9. But you can care for the same citrus year after year by growing it in a container and overwintering the plant indoors. Michele moves her potted lemon tree and potted bay plant into her home for the winter season. But overwintered plants can be susceptible to common houseplant diseases while sharing the space inside. By the time spring returns and it’s warm enough to move the plants outside, they often are dusty and infected with scale. Instead of applying insecticidal soap, Michele opted for a faster and more thorough solution to removing the scale and dust.

Use a mesh-covered sponge to gently remove scale from plant leaves

She grabbed a Dobie sponge (though any similar mesh-covered sponge should do the trick) and lightly scraped it across the tops and undersides of leaves, rinsing the sponge every few leaves to let the scale wash down the drain. The mesh casing of the sponge adds just enough abrasion to peel off the scale without harming the leaf, and the damp sponge adds a little moisture to help remove the layer of dust as well. While you’re at it, check all your houseplants for scale infestations and get them taken care of at the same time. A sponge makes the task quicker, easier and less messy!

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Cactus need some support?

After repotting a cactus, Karen noticed that the plant’s tall, top-heavy growth made it a little unstable in its new home. While the fresh soil and roomier pot would help the roots spread out and strengthen over time, the cactus still needed temporary support to stay upright and avoid tipping over. Instead of purchasing specialty plant stakes, she reached for a simple, budget-friendly solution you might already have in your kitchen: chopsticks!

Cactus staking tip

She used four chopsticks to create a horizontal grid support across the soil. To make this grid, first cut the chopsticks to a size that fits snugly inside the rim. Fit two sticks on either side of the cactus, and run another set of two perpendicular to the first. To avoid damaging the plant, make sure the chopsticks aren’t squeezing the plant. It’s an easy, affordable trick that works especially well for newly repotted succulents and cacti with narrow bases or heavy tops.

Tip submitted by Karen Nickel, WI

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Cactus watering hack

Robert grows cactus under lights at his home and finds it hard to water with a watering can. The light fixture is set close to the tops of the plants, they’re spaced close together, often growing tightly in tiny pots, and it’s time-consuming to pull each cactus out to water. So he attached an 18-in.-long piece of clear plastic tubing to the spout of a condiment bottle. He fills the bottle with water, guides the tubing into the pot, gives a squeeze and dampens the soil. Robert finds it easier to maneuver the flexible tubing in each pot than a watering can spout. Plus, by using the long tube, he avoids getting poked by the sharp spines on his prickly plants!

Tip submitted by Robert Mapes, Iowa

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Five ways to help transition outdoor plants indoors with minimal leaf drop

When moving potted plants indoors for the winter, some leaf drop is natural as they adjust to the new environment. Check out five tips below to help make a smooth transition indoors.

1. Bring plants indoors before temperatures drop

To minimize leaf loss and help plants thrive, start by bringing them inside before nighttime temperatures dip below 50°F (10°C). Sudden exposure to cold can stress plants, increasing the chance of leaf drop. See the chart below for a list of plants to keep an eye on in fall and the outdoor temperatures (°F) at which you should bring them in.

2. Avoid pruning, repotting, or fertilizing

Avoid additional stressors by holding off on pruning, repotting, or fertilizing until the following spring when you can move plants back outdoors. These actions can disrupt the plant's adjustment period and make it harder for them to settle into their new indoor environment.

3. Inspect for insects before bringing outdoor plants indoors

Before bringing any plants inside, inspect them thoroughly for insects on stems and leaves. If you see pests, treat the plants with an insecticidal soap or other appropriate solutions. It’s also helpful to soak pots in a tub of water briefly to flush out soil-dwelling bugs like pill bugs and earwigs. Even if you don’t find insects, separate plants that spent the summer outdoors from your other houseplants for a couple of weeks as a precaution.

4. Water moderately to avoid root rot

Once indoors, water the plants regularly, keeping the soil barely moist. Avoid overwatering, as soggy soil can lead to root rot. Indoor conditions are often less humid than outdoors, so monitor the soil's moisture to maintain a balance.

5. Expect reduced light and slower growth

The most significant challenge for plants indoors is the reduced light. Even in the sunniest indoor spot, light intensity is much lower than outdoors. To adjust, plants will slow their growth, which can lead to some leaf drop. This is a natural response, and with proper care, your plants should remain healthy through the winter.

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Smart tips for a successful rooftop garden

In order to get room for a garden, Bethany Bey took over the roof of her zone 5 Illinois home. She added a comfy seating area to the 18-foot-long-by-19-foot-wide deck along with seven 3-foot-tall wooden raised beds around the perimeter and 50 containers and grow bags of assorted sizes. Now Bethany has plenty of room for growing plants! This beautiful rooftop garden earned her an honorable mention in the 2024 Container Challenge. Here’s what she does to create a lush rooftop container garden:

1. Water rooftop garden plants with drip irrigation

Bethany tried using single drip emitters with everything at first but found that she needed so many, the water pressure decreased and didn’t reach all the plants in larger pots. Her solution is to use drip emitters for single plants in small pots and sprinkler emitters for larger containers.

2. Stake plants as soon as possible

Wind is a problem on the roof, so plants that might not need staking in the border do need help staying upright in this garden. Bethany’s sunflowers (Helianthus annuus), dahlias (Dahlia hybrids) and zinnias (Zinnia hybrids) all get stakes early in the season. In addition, she looks for dwarf varieties that will have a similar look without the need for extra support.

3. Use plants to camouflage the "uglies"

What looks like a border across from the seating area is actually a group of 10 containers that hide the air conditioner. Over the years Bethany has learned to arrange them more purposefully instead of just setting them here and there. Now when she puts this border together in spring she considers the habit, size and flower color of each plant before putting them in place. This gives her a layered and harmonious design.

Follow Bethany on Instagram: @chicagogardener

Youtube: Chicago Gardener

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It's time to send my "plant babies" off to summer camp. (Have I gone too far with the "plant parent" metaphor?)

My houseplant collection (read: my plant babies) has been slowly growing since moving into our sunshine-filled home. And though I really value them as interior decoration, I am learning how to give them what they want to keep them healthy and vibrant. Sometimes that means sacrificing my preferred feng shui so that the plants can live wild and free for a moment and grow to their hearts' content in the great outdoors

Take it easy: how to harden off your houseplants

Let's face it: Houseplants are pampered. They like to sit on the shelf inside in a controlled climate, be watered at the same time every week and be heavily dosed with "oohs", "ahhs", and coos by every dweller of the home. Outside in the garden there’s fluctuating temperatures, wind, pouring rain, hot sunshine and more. That’s alot for a houseplant to adjust to. That’s why it’s important to harden them off — which means to slowly introduce them to the wilderness of the garden.

The common way to harden off your plants is to set them outside for only a few hours a day for several days before letting them stay outdoors.

I tried something a little different. I have a small sunroom with many windows that receives a lot of sun. I threw open the windows, set my plants along the windowsill and left them there for two whole days. Then I moved them all outside to a shaded, protected spot near my foundation. They were only there for two days before moving to their locations in the garden. This method worked better for me than the usual way. I can easily forget to move them inside, so it was much simpler to only have to move them outdoors one time.

A quick tip for hardening off your houseplants

Water your houseplants really well before letting them be out in the garden. They can handle the transition better if they’re hydrated.

Styling houseplants in the garden

Half of the fun of houseplants is incorporating them into my home’s decor, so I wanted to use them in a similar way in my garden. Happenstance led me to this hack: Metal brackets were already installed into the brick under the windows of my sunroom. I assume there used to be a windowbox there. I’ll probably build another windowbox in the future, but my much quicker solution is to use a piece of old lumber (also something that came with the home) on top of the brackets and, simply enough, it’s a shelf for my houseplants. I almost love it more than a windowbox.

I potted up some annuals in individual pots to incorporate with the houseplants for a little variety of color. (Also, they might be able to be overwintered indoors when the season is over... we'll see.) Its a bit more of an eclectic look, but I find it adorable. What do you think?

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Tips for designing with houseplants in the garden

If you’re moving your houseplants outdoors, remember these tips to help them thrive:

• Light conditions are different outside; a plant that likes bright light indoors usually prefers part shade outside. Plants that prefer low light conditions indoors definitely prefer shade outside.
• Make sure their pots have good drainage. Indoors, its nice to have a saucer or pot that can collect and keep water from running all over your home. But outdoors, that water can collect really quickly with a hard rain and make your plant soggy and cause the roots to rot.
• Most plants put on a lot of growth in the summer season, so encourage the growth with some fertilizer. Repot your plants to give them more room to grow.

Repot houseplants

This fern of mine needed to be repotted. The leaves were paling and it really wasn’t putting out new growth. I expected it to be rootbound, but it wasn’t. Regardless, a bigger pot and some fresh potting mix should help return its vigor. Repotting houseplants before setting them outside for the summer also helps boost their growth.

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It seems like I’m always getting grand ideas for adding more and more houseplants to my home. You can see what I have growing currently (including the names of these plants pictured in this post) and stay updated as my collection grows by following me on Instagram @VintageUrbanGarden!

Check Out My Previous Posts:
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Save your container plants indoors over the winter

At the end of the season it’s hard to say goodbye to the plants that have done so well in containers — especially the out-of-the-ordinary ones. The good news is many of them can dress up the living room just as well. Let me walk you through how to save your container plants indoors over the winter so you can grow them outdoors again in spring.

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1. Prep plants for the indoors

When nighttime temperatures are around 40 to 45 degrees F, bring tender plants inside for the winter. You may want to repot them into lightweight nursery pots beforehand so they’re easier to transport and slip into a “dressier” pot indoors.

Rinse thoroughly, both upper and lower leaf surfaces, with the hose or a damp cloth to wash off any pests that might be hitchhiking. Moving them inside at night and out again during the day over several days, gradually increasing the amount of time they’re indoors, will help them acclimate.

2. Find the right spot in your house

Set the plants next to a sunny south-facing window and out of the direct line of heat vents — dry, warm air dries out foliage and potting mix. Temperatures between 68 and 75 degrees F during the day and 6 to 8 degrees cooler at night are best for most plants. The shorter days and less intense light will cause slower growth so there’s no need to feed them.

3. Slowly acclimate the plants outdoors in spring

In spring, when the risk of frost has passed and daytime temperatures are 60 to 65 degrees F, your indoor plants can go outside again. To harden off plants off, move them in stages to avoid foliage burn from too much sun all at once. Start plants out in the shade for a few hours each day and work up to full sun, if needed.

How to overwinter 3 popular container plants indoors

See also [Containers](https://www.gardengatemagazine.com/articles/containers/ "Containers")

Low-maintenance container tips

In addition to grouping these pots together, there are a couple of other things to do to take a load off the watering chores. Plant in a large container like the one above so you use more soilless potting mix; it holds water better so combos won’t dry out as quickly. Add a layer of bark mulch to the top of the pot to help conserve moisture, too.

And to make things even easier: Use rock mulch to keep weeds from popping up in between the smaller pots, and install a simple brick edging for easy mowing.

Choose no-fuss plants

Drought-tolerant plants conserve more moisture with small, waxy or fuzzy leaves. This combination has a number of tough annuals — waxy leaved begonia, small-leaved asparagus fern and fuzzy Swedish ivy — that don’t wilt easily. Ringed by succulents and English ivy, this grouping can take the sun and heat. And because they thrive in dry soil, succulents are perfect in the quick-draining smaller pots.

Want to know more about quenching thirsty container gardens? Garden expert Karen Chapman will help you out with her container watering tips!

Learn how to design containers in six unique styles in our exclusive class, taught by professional garden designer, author and educator, Karen Chapman. You won’t want to miss the tips in her video class, lists of plant recommendations and exclusive container recipes. Sign up now.