Winter Wisdom

Brought to you in cooperation with the Kansas State University Johnson County Research and Extension Master Gardeners.   Each week we feature interesting topics for winter reading.

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Week of 1/22/01

We continue to receive calls from persons who brought potted plants, bushes and trees into their homes when cold weather arrived.  Here are a few tips and comments inspired by their questions.

Any plant will take a period of time, sometimes up to 3 or 4 weeks, to acclimate to indoor conditions of light and moisture.  One way that plants have of compensating for the change is for the leaves to yellow and drop.  The temptation is to water them profusely.  Most plants have more modest moisture requirements during the winter indoors.  Don't overdo the watering, and be sure that the plant drains well.  If ambient temperature is high and humidity is low, some plants will benefit from misting or having an open water container near them.

Another common complaint is that some insects and bugs such as gnats, whiteflies and mealy bugs accompanied the plants when they came indoors.  It's easier to examine the plant carefully and treat it before bringing it in, but in case you missed that opportunity, there are a number of insecticidal soaps and pesticides labeled for indoor use, available from you lawn and garden or hardware store.

It's a good idea to wipe the leaves of plants, particularly those with large leaves, to remove accumulated dust.  The use of spray products to produce an artificial shine is NOT recommended.  They tend to clog pores and ultimately hasten dust accumulation.

Lighting is another source of concern.  Depending on the plant, most have requirements for continued growth and blooming, which may present a challenge to your resources.  Plants which require high levels of light should be placed where they receive maximum amounts of sunlight, but care must be exercised to avoid burning the leaves by exposure to full winter sun near a south or sometimes a west window.  "Grow lights" and other artificial illumination need to be placed only inches above the plant to be beneficial.  There is little or no evidence that more expensive "Grow lights" provide measurably better results than ordinary incandescent or fluorescent bulbs.  It appears to be the proximity of the light source to the plant rather than the spectrum range itself, which is the important factor in promoting photosynthesis.  Try to approximate the outdoor exposure as closely as possible as far as light, moisture and growing conditions are concerned.  Avoid placing plants where they are in a draft.

Several calls have been received from persons who bought large quantities of tulips or other spring bulbs at sale prices before Christmas, and for one reason or another did not get them in the ground before it froze.  The best hope is probably to put the sound bulbs in vermiculite in a box and store them in a cool dark place until the ground becomes workable.  Those that have already sprouted present more of a problem.  A sunny spot that may have thawed or a planter box may be used as a temporary home until the ground in the permanent location is ready.  The chances of spring bloom this year are somewhat remote, but at least some may survive to bloom another day.

Articles submitted by Bill Latimer, Johnson County Extension Horticulture Assistant and Dennis Patton, Johnson County Extension Horticulture Agent.

Previous Weeks' Winter Wisdom

* Winter Wisdom is an information service of the Kansas State Johnson County Research and Extension Master Gardeners.  Research-based responses are provided by Extension Master Gardener volunteers weekdays from March 1 through October 31, from 9:00 am to 4:30pm .  To telephone, call (913) 764-6306 or visit the Extension Office at 13480 South Arapaho Drive, Olathe, Kansas.  Visit their website at www.oznet.ksu.edu/Johnson 

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