With the proper care, some tropical plants can be over-wintered and bloom again next year! Any steps you take will be well worth it when you are rewarded with their growth and beauty for years to come! Read on for examples of which tropical plants fall in to this category:
HIBISCUS: That’s right! Those big beautiful colorful blooms can be brought back summer after summer, with just little help from you. They easily cut back/pruned to keep them small enough to bring in for the winter. Keep them fertilized with Fertilome Rooting and Blooming Formula. And to prevent/control aphids and/or white flies, treat them with Systemic Insect Granules.
MOTH ORCHIDS: Lots of folks enjoy these on shaded porches where they get indirect bright light or maybe just a little early morning direct sun. Come fall, bring them indoors and perch them near a window that receive morning sun for best results. Use two types of orchid fertilizer Better Gro Better Bloom and Better Gro Orchid Plus. The first is to be used when the orchid is blooming, and the latter one for when it is growing but not blooming. Be sure not to repot them too soon – a common mistake! Any of our greenhouse pros will guide you as to when to repot.
CITRUS TREES: The beautiful fragrant blooms of orange trees, mini orange, lemon, lime and even kumquat can be brought inside for the winter making them a year round sensory treat! They need lots of sun and an acidic but mild fertilizer, like Fertilome Acid Loving Fertilizer. NOTE: Mix this at half strength since citrus are susceptible to root harm/burn. Keep a close eye out for spider mites/scale insects. At the first sign of them, treat your citrus with All Seasons Horticultural Oil Spray – it’s a super safe and effective option if you catch the mites early and don’t let it become an infestation!
BOUGANVILLAE – Words cannot do justice to the amazing tropical feel of these gorgeous colorful blooms. During the summer, enjoy them in the hottest part of your landscape and watch them thrive. Before bringing it in for the winter, prune it back and let it get dry. And since Bouganvillae are sensitive to cool temperatures, bring them inside well before the thermometer reaches 45 at night, and don’t put out again next summer until it is consistently warm (usually May).
