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Houseplants bring them back indoors.

As the end of summer approaches and night temperatures start to drop below 50 degrees, it is time to think about bringing your houseplants back inside. Summer vacation is over. Most houseplants are, after all, tropical and are accustomed to warm climates. Plants such as winter jasmine, Christmas & Thanksgiving cactus and cymbidium orchids will tolerate cooler temperatures (40’s) and actually need the colder temps and shorter days to stimulate bud-formation for winter blooming.

Before you bring your plants indoors there are a few things you should do.

Two weeks prior, move them into the shade to help adjust to the lower light indoors.
While they are outside, clean your windows. A clean window will allow more light to pass through than a dirty one.

Carefully check your plants for insects and eggs. To force out any unwanted pests, soak your plant up to the rim in a sink full of water. If that is not possible, try a soil drench – systemic granules that are sprinkled on the soil surface and watered in. If necessary, spray the plant with insecticidal soap or a recommended topical spray covering the top and undersides of the leaves. You don’t want to bring uninvited guests into the house. Infested plants will need vigilant treatments, so you have to decide if its worth the trouble.

No need to repot at this time, unless your plant is totally potbound. If you feel its necessary, refresh the soil with a lightweight soiless mix but do not change the size of the pot and take the opportunity to check for insects. It’s best to repot your plants in the spring when they are ready to grow again.

Stop fertilizing Plants should be fed when they are actively growing so they can take advantage of the nutrients. Low light conditions, short days will reduce plant growth therefore, fertilization should be stopped, except for winter flowering plants. Resume feeding in late winter.

Water less once indoors, your plants will require less water because it will slow down or stop growth. Check the soil before watering. The top 2 inches should be dry before watering again. Be sure the plant does not sit in water as that can cause the roots to rot. Overwatering is a major problem of houseplants.

Late season Tomato tips

As the summer season comes to an end, thoughts of the cold weather and eminent frost comes to mind. Your tomato plants look great, loaded with all those green tomatoes and now it becomes a race against time to ripen them. Good grief!! what do I do with all these green unripe tomatoes?

Here are some suggestions to help your tomatoes ripen faster.

One trick is to root prune the plant. Dig a spade or garden fork into the soil 6-8″ deep and cut around a circle 12″ from the stem. Rock the spade back and forth to “shake” things up a bit. Careful not to dig up the plant. This pruning will stress the plant and signal it to ripen the fruit faster.

Another tip to hasten ripening is to pinch off any flowers and fruit that is too small and will not mature in time. Trim back any new shoots so that the plant will use its energy to ripen the fruit instead of producing new growth. Start doing this about a month before an expected frost date.

What to do with all those green tomatoes?.
If Mother Nature throws you an unexpected frost and you still have lots of green tomatoes, there is still hope. Harvest all your green tomatoes. Check for blemishes, bruises or spots and discard the bad ones. The best tomatoes for ripening will be ones with a slight yellow-pinkish color at the blossom end. Clean the tomatoes in a 1 percent bleach solution. (1 tablespoon of Clorox to 1 gal. water) dry and place in a shallow tray lined with newspaper. Do not let them touch each other. Keep them in a dark room at 60-70 degrees. They need warmth not light to ripen. Check often for any spots, leaking or rotting and discard bad tomatoes immediately as they can affect the others. Ripening can take 3-4 weeks. Some varieties, such as Long Keeper that store better than others.
You can also fry or pickle the green tomatoes.

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