Treating plants when moving inside for winter?

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valal Natick, MA Aug 02, 2015

I have some plants that will not over-winter in my zone, ie a mandevilla I purchased this year.

When you move a plant inside, do you treat it with anything to kill any bugs in the soil?

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DaisyPlantLady Reno, NV(Zone 6b) Aug 02, 2015

I always treat plants before bringing them in for the winter. Insecticidal Soap works well for most bug problems. Spray the foliage thoroughly and soak the soil. You might have to spray a couple times before bringing your plants in. After the last spray, wash the leaves thoroughly with water.

I like Insecticidal Soap because its less toxic to the environment than other pesticides.

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sallyg Anne Arundel,, MD(Zone 7b) Aug 02, 2015

That's good advice.
I wouldn't get overly worried about unseen bugs, though. If you slip the plant out of the pot and don't get anything crawling out, you're probably ok. Also depends on where the plants have spent time, how close to the actual soil, will affect how likely they carry "little friends."

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valal Natick, MA Aug 02, 2015

Thanks Ladies,

What made me think of it was when i was repotting some coleus seedlings that were too crowded and a centepede crawled out of and quickly back into the soil! :o) The plants on my deck in pots/planters seem to attract more than the usual kind of bugs for some reason-?

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sallyg Anne Arundel,, MD(Zone 7b) Aug 02, 2015

now, centipedes-- eww! one of my least favorite! Along with earwigs, which sometimes gather around rims of buckets, or under pots.

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DaisyPlantLady Reno, NV(Zone 6b) Aug 02, 2015

I've had entire ant colonies move in for the summer.

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sallyg Anne Arundel,, MD(Zone 7b) Aug 02, 2015

Yeah, me too! Bottom of the pot, full.

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