Garden Talk: Caring For Indoor Plants

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• 4 Ways To Keep Indoor Plants Alive This Winter

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  The freezing weather doesn’t mean you have to stop using your green thumb. Winter is a perfect time to nurture your indoor plants and spruce up your home with seasonal house plants, or give them as holiday gifts.

  Keeping houseplants happy comes with some unique challenges. Melinda Myers, author of more than 20 gardening books and the host of “Melinda’s Garden Moment,” joined WPR’s “The Larry Meiller Show” to share some of her tips for indoor plant care.

  Keep Them Warm And Dry

  “With any holiday plant, always wrap them up when you bring them home,” Myers said.

  Being exposed to cold temperatures can kill plants like poinsettias, which are indigenous to Mexico. The plant needs to be wrapped in foil or cellophane, even for the quick trip from the store to your car.

  When you bring your new plant home, unwrap it as soon as possible. Poinsettia leaves give off ethylene, which shortens the flowering time of the plant, Myers said.

  Make sure not to over-water your indoor flowering plants like poinsettias and always allow any excess water to drain off, she said.

  Protect Plants From Pets — And Vice Versa

  Poinsettias are not actually lethal to pets, although if ingested they may make your pet ill. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has a full list of plants that are toxic to pets to ensure the plants you purchase are safe for your furry family members.

  To keep your cat from using your larger house plants as a litter box, Myers suggests putting a layer of chunky bark or aluminum over the soil to discourage the bad behavior. You can also place the plant on a cat scat mat to keep your cat from approaching the plant.

  When Giving A Plant As A Gift, Do Your Research

  Doing research about plants to give as gifts is especially true if the recipient has pets or young children.

  Make use of the ASPCA list.

  If you don’t include care instructions, make sure the plant is clearly labeled so that the recipient can research care and toxicity.

  Know When To Fertilize, But Don’t Overdo It

  Flowering indoor plants like poinsettias, African violets and Christmas cactuses are good candidates for a bit of fertilizer right after they bloom. Adding a small amount of diluted fertilizer right after your plant blooms can give your plant a great wintertime boost.

  “Err on the side of diluting (your fertilizer). You can always add more” if you need to, but you can’t undo it if you add too much, Myers said.