A Conversation About: Winter is STILL coming

By Jean Thomas

The trees are getting crispy around the edges. As I walk the dog in the morning I notice errant colorful leaves dropping from various treetops. Mornings have become more reliably cool.

My own particular red flag is the behavior of the houseplants that are summering outside. Just like children, they have grown outrageously in all that light and warmth. They have outgrown their shoes and need to be readied for the indoors. Like children, they need haircuts and general grooming after their season of (relative) freedom. And just like readying children for back to school and a more sedate, indoor life, it’s best to be organized about the whole process. Reality often interferes and I find myself rushing around clearing space inside in response to a frost warning. September should begin the gradual introduction of the plants to darker environs. This entails moving the containers onto a porch or into a garage. Ideally, it is done at the same time as the grooming and sorting process.

Let’s pretend we are organized, and review the steps. First, collect all the plants in containers into one area. Then gather the appropriate potting soil, ideally in an adequate amount . Now you need to sort. Not unlike in the Harry Potter novels, the power of the sorter is total. I always remind myself to be firm. Weaklings must be culled out. If they struggle under good conditions, they’ll die indoors, which creates another removal chore later on. Shagginess must be tamed, because space is inevitably limited indoors. Plan ahead. Light will be limited, and new growth started outside will struggle. Prune the plants back to their most viable state, which is usually much smaller. The smaller the plant going back inside the better the roots can support the top growth.

This brings us to the nuts and bolts of the project. New potting soil, maybe new pots, and a firm attitude are the tools. So far, we’re just pruning and repotting. Go through all the plants you already have homes for. Prune them and repot them into fresh soil (taking away all the old exhausted soil for compost) and maybe new pots. Set them aside. Remember that part of the segregation is to check for insects and disease that want to hitchhike inside for the winter. This is a good time to spray or add a systemic treatment to the soil.

Now that you have a bunch of plants preparing to go inside after a few weeks of rest, it’s time to address the problem children. Usually we have fallen in love with some annual or another because it’s just so “beyootiful”: It’s a ton of work involving cuttings and lots of cleanup. Are you really that much in love?

The other problem children are usually the ones we acquired over the summer that thrived and got nice and big. The same rules apply as to the old familiar plants. You gotta be firm, and make more space inside. Speaking as someone who now has five shop lights on timers and a shed full of containers and a bale of potting mix from the wholesale grower supplier, do as I say, not as I do. But if you still have energy and enthusiasm, the plants that stayed indoors for the summer might like a haircut and new shoes, too.

If you are overwhelmed or feel the need to delegate, many local garden centers offer free or low cost repotting services if you want to take your plants on a road trip, and it can be much tidier in the long run. Listen to “Nature Calls, Conversations from the Hudson Valley.” Episodes 12 and 56 can be useful.