Treating houseplants before bring them indoors

 How do you treat your houseplants that have been outdoors all summer?

 

What sort of houseplants?

 On Mon, 15 Oct 2007 20:21:01 +0000 (UTC), FragileWarrior


Mostly succulents, some in 10" pots.  Various zygocactus, marginata,
desert rose, Dracaena, oxalis, euphorbias, jade, various cactus.  

 

I'd hose them off if they needed it, check the appropriate ones (jade, for
example) for mealy bugs and then bring them in.  Check under the pots and  
for spider eggs.  IIRC, succulents are probably the ones that need the
least care to bring in but might be the hardest to make house comfortable
with the light changes and all.

 

Last year someone on this NG recommended spraying everything with soapy
water (I used diluted Dawn in a Windex spray bottle) and pouring some
more soapy water through the soil, then hosing everything down to get
the soap off the leaves and out of the soil.  I did that, then brought
everything inside right away.  One plant that's especially prone to
spider mites developed them, but not until the winter was nearly over,
but otherwise there was no infestation at all -- not even those little
gnatty things.

I've been meaning to thank whoever sent in that suggestion.

helco