Brrr! … It’s time to take the trowel inside. Before you do, make sure no leaves are blocking your street drains. Otherwise, you’ll be flooded before the Halloween candy is gone. With that done, it’s safe to batten down the hatches and do some indoor gardening. Bring in any plants that went outside for the summer! They’re certainly feeling the cold now, too.

The sun has crept south again, so you may want to re-evaluate where your indoor plants are situated. In fact, this is a great time to bring them all together. That’s right—a regular plant rodeo! When you do, there will be a surprising amount of dust, maybe some crawly things, crust on the soil, and other interesting discoveries.

Pick your arena depending on how many plants you have. Maybe it’s the kitchen, the bathroom, or the garage if you don’t mind the cold. Choose a place fairly close to water. You’ll need to water the plants—perhaps even give them a shower. Spread out layers of newspaper over plastic large enough to tip over your biggest plant. Have fresh potting soil and pots on hand, both larger and smaller than the ones your plants currently inhabit.

Time out! Why do I need smaller and larger pots?
The larger ones are obviously for repotting root-bound plants. The smaller ones are for starts from the overgrown plants.

There’s no need to buy pots. You can simply reuse those discarded from plants that have outgrown them. It will be necessary to clean and sterilize them using a ten percent bleach solution. Soak for about twenty minutes to an hour and rinse well. For this, children should be supervised. Disposable deli containers with punched-out drainage holes can also be used for starts.

Why should I make more plants?
If you’re reading this article, you probably like plants at least a little. Maybe you think you have enough. Plants do make great gifts. But there’s another reason to consider reproducing them.

In the process of photosynthesis, plants are also effective air scrubbers, cleaning the space around us. That’s right—NASA found that plants work to remove volatile organic compounds from the air and reduce ozone indoors.

Many houseplants are effective air purifiers, but some are more highly effective. Here are examples:
Aloe vera, areca palm, azalea, bamboo palm, Boston fern, Chinese evergreen, chrysanthemum, Gerber daisy, heart leaf, Peace lily, Philodendron, golden pothos, red-edged dracaena, rubber tree plant, snake plant, spider plant, Warneck dracaena, and weeping fig.

How many do you need to purify the air in your home? Sources vary on this, but the average is roughly one eight-inch potted plant per hundred square feet. Judge for yourself.

Back to Tending Houseplants

First, inspect the leaves for disease and bugs. There’s certain to be a layer of dust, which needs to be removed for effective transpiration. That should be done gently with a soft cloth or paper towel. Do not use the same cloth on more than one plant. Plant diseases are communicable! Paper towels are compostable. Remove only diseased leaves or twigs. Don’t cut or prune at this point!

If you are unsure of what you find or how to treat it, the Internet can be helpful. You can also bag and tag leaves, bugs, and branches for identification by Master Gardeners. They remain on duty at the office clinic throughout the year.

Next, remove and discard the top inch of soil from the pot. It’s likely crusty. It may be white with salt or chlorine, or reddish from rust or other minerals. The top layers of soil act as a filter for water the plant takes in. Get in the habit of refilling your watering can after each watering session so that chlorine can dissipate before it is used on your plants. Don’t use distilled water. Plants need the minerals that are removed during distillation—chlorine isn’t one foliage favors.

Now gently tip the soil and root ball out of the pot to determine how happy the plant is where it’s living. This won’t hurt the plant if done correctly. One exception is the Benjamina ficus tree—it’s very finicky. Just prod down the side with a stick to see if it’s become root-bound.

If your plant is root-bound, upsize to a pot at least 2-4 inches larger in diameter and 2-4 inches deeper. Give it quite a bit more if it’s a very large plant. You don’t want to be repotting huge specimens more than every 4-5 years. Have a helper if you’re wrestling big foliage.

Inspect roots and soil for root weevils and larva. Pick them out and discard if present. Pesky bugs thrive in containers; this is why soil should never be reused on another plant. Loosen the root ball into the new soil.

Replace with new soil and be sure it is firmly situated but not hard-packed. Roots need some oxygen. Leave an inch of space between the top of the soil and the top of the pot—more if it’s a huge pot. This will allow room for watering and prevent overflows. Refresh your newspaper work surface between plants to prevent cross-contamination.

Shaping and Propagating Houseplants

Now it’s time to take a hard look at the shape and size of the plant. Up to this point, you’ve only removed diseased foliage and mineral deposits so they don’t get mixed with new soil. Now you know about the health of the plant below the soil’s surface. That’s where the plant will grow over the winter. That’s why it needed more space right now. It’s also why it’s a good time to take cuttings to root.

As you look at your plant, think about what shape you’d like it to be. Don’t make drastic cuts—just study it for a while.

Which plants do you want to reproduce? It’s beyond the scope of this article to cover how each one can be done. Most can be done in several ways. But the way you harvest cuttings for each is the same.

Taking Cuttings:
There are other methods, but cuttings are typically taken from the end of a branch or stem—its newest growth. The stem should be long enough to incorporate several leaves. For a short plant, it may only be 6-8 inches. For a rubber tree plant, it may be a foot or more. A sharp knife is used to make a diagonal cut (usually just below a leaf).

The lower two or three leaves are removed. If using a potting medium, a pencil or stick is used to make a hole. Results can be faster if the cutting is dipped in rooting hormone before inserting it into the soil and gently pressing it into place.

If the cutting is from a milky or soft-stemmed plant, it’s possible to root the stems in a glass or jar of water. It’s fun to use a clear container to observe the roots growing and know when it’s time to change or add water. Several cuttings of the same plant make a lush planting. The nodes where leaves were attached are where roots develop. These need some sunlight and are fun to watch across the kitchen sink.

For shaping your plants, the cuts are different. Good pruning requires cuts to be just above a node. There should be no leafless stems. The plant will not be wasting any energy on a stem that isn’t producing food with a leaf. Step back and turn the plant ninety degrees after every cut. It will look different at every angle. Have fun with it.

Finally, soak and drain your freshened plant before returning it to its home.

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