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Bring plants inside this winter
They are guaranteed to look worse in spring when you take them back outside than when you brought them in; but there are things you can do to insure that they at least survive. Find a window with the best light you can - preferably one with morning sun. Make sure this location isn't near a winter heat source. Conditions in the house are already drier and warmer than your plant prefers. Don't fertilize after you bring them in. This encourages new growth and your plants are stressed enough without the extra burden of adding new leaves. Also, do not prune back since this, too, encourages growth. Don't water until the planting medium feels very dry. Touch the planting medium with your finger and if soil adheres to it, it doesn't need water. Over watering is certain death. Soil that is too wet deprives roots of oxygen. You may discover that your plants are hosts to spider mites, white flies or aphids. Usually a light misting with warm water and a little dishwashing detergent will rout all but the most persistent pests. Often this is a losing battle. If infestation persists, give up. They are not your children. You can provide a moister environment for your pots if you set them in a bed of rocks with water. Be sure the water is shallow enough that it is not absorbed by the pot. An occasional misting with warm water helps, too. Messy, but effective. I once left about a dozen of my most treasured potted plants in a bathtub with some water just out of their reach and went off to Florida for two weeks. Apparently there were mosquito larvae in the dirt and my house filled up with mosquitoes. This was a huge discouragement to my son who had been chosen to be sure all was well in my absence.
When this complicated vigil is over - along about next March - take your plants back outside, prune if you want and fertilize them. They have eight months to recover and then you can do it all over again.
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