Sonia Day immerses her potted plants in a solution of insecticidal soap before bringing them indoors.
Soapy soaking marks end of summer
October 31, 2009
Special to the Star
Like it or not, summer's over. And here's one last gardening task that's worth doing before retreating indoors.
Wash all your potted plants. Thoroughly.
Everything that you intend bringing inside – herbs, cacti, leafy green things, succulents and so on – should be given a good bath.
I know, I know. It's a chore. But after being bombarded with clouds of horrid little white insects one winter (they were whitefly, which had laid their eggs in the potting soil during the summer outside), plant bath time has become a fall ritual for me.
And it's actually quite a pleasant way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon. Do it tomorrow, while the kids are pigging out on their Halloween haul.
Just fill a wide, deep plastic container with water, add a few generous squirts of insecticidal soap and swish the stuff around. (Pure soap from an environmentally friendly store is fine, too, but don't use detergent or dish liquid – not even the so-called "mild" ones like Dove – as they may burn plant roots.)
Give each plant a haircut. Then immerse the whole thing, pot and all, in the water for a couple of minutes. Experts say this kills insects or their eggs that may be lurking on the plant or in the soil – and surprisingly, it does seem to work.
The soil in my pots is usually quite dry by summer's end, so I wait until bubbles stop coming up to the surface of the water. Then they are given a rinse and left to dry in the sun.
After that, it's heave-ho into the living room – where the Man in my Life promptly groans and says: "You mean, all those plants are coming into the house now?"
Yup. 'Fraid so. It's what happens when you live with a mad gardener.
www.soniaday.com