Moving Your Plants Outside for the Summer
The first thing to remember is to take your time. Do not be in a rush. Moving your plants from the shelter and shade of your living room to the bright hot sun of your balcony, without acclimatizing your plants to their new surrounding, will severely damage most plants and kill many. Just like you your plants can get a sunburn but unlike you they can’t move into the shade. Often severe damage can occur in just a few hours of midday sun.
It is much safer and more rewarding if you have a plan when you move your plants outside. I usually start the season with a spring cleaning of the yard and balcony and all the places where potted plants are going to be placed. I use the same spray that I used in the fall when I brought the plants in (recipe at the end). I use this spray to wash everything; bricks, cement, wood, grass, trees, shrubs, everything. I pay close attention to areas that had a problem last year. For example in one corner I had a spider mite problem and against one fence I had a powdery mildew outbreak. In these two areas, after the initial cleaning and spraying, I came back and sprayed again with a sulfur solution. If you have recognized areas that have given you problems in the past, the earlier that you address these problem areas, well you know – “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
The hardening off process, or acclimatization, is usually done over a two week period. Start by moving your plants to a shaded area that receives absolutely no direct light from 10:30 am until around 2:30 pm. This is when the sun is at its strongest and will do the most damage to your plants. If you are on a balcony or somewhere that has no shade from the noonday sun, you must make some. The best materials to use for a temporary shade cloth are muslin, chevron, organza or cheesecloth. These textiles are readily available and cheap. There is also professional shade cloth available from greenhouse suppliers. Every two or three days expose your plants a little bit more, gradually moving your plants to their permanent summer location. If at any time you see damage, take a step back in the process. It is very important to know the light requirements of your individual plants. Remember some plants are shade loving plants and no amount of acclimatization will ever prepare them for direct sunlight.
Recipe
Ten cigarettes or a pinch of strong tobacco
2 cups of boiling water
One ounce of gin
One ounce of antiseptic mouth wash
One cup lemon scented dish soap
Make a tea with the tobacco and boiling water. Let it steep until the water is cold, then filter out the tobacco. Now add all of the other ingredients to your tobacco tea. Mix it all together. Use the brew at one teaspoon per quart of water or 5ml per litre.
The tobacco is the poisonous part of this tea. The gin will interfere with the reproductive cycle of a lot of insects. The antiseptic mouthwash will attack bacteria and fungus spores. The lemon dish soap will act as a wetting agent, making the spray stick to the plants. It will also give insects diarrhea and the lemon scent helps to drive insects away.
Be patient and enjoy.
Indoor Gardener May 2006
The first thing to remember is to take your time. Do not be in a rush. Moving your plants from the shelter and shade of your living room to the bright hot sun of your balcony, without acclimatizing your plants to their new surrounding, will severely damage most plants and kill many. Just like you your plants can get a sunburn but unlike you they can’t move into the shade. Often severe damage can occur in just a few hours of midday sun.
It is much safer and more rewarding if you have a plan when you move your plants outside. I usually start the season with a spring cleaning of the yard and balcony and all the places where potted plants are going to be placed. I use the same spray that I used in the fall when I brought the plants in (recipe at the end). I use this spray to wash everything; bricks, cement, wood, grass, trees, shrubs, everything. I pay close attention to areas that had a problem last year. For example in one corner I had a spider mite problem and against one fence I had a powdery mildew outbreak. In these two areas, after the initial cleaning and spraying, I came back and sprayed again with a sulfur solution. If you have recognized areas that have given you problems in the past, the earlier that you address these problem areas, well you know – “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
The hardening off process, or acclimatization, is usually done over a two week period. Start by moving your plants to a shaded area that receives absolutely no direct light from 10:30 am until around 2:30 pm. This is when the sun is at its strongest and will do the most damage to your plants. If you are on a balcony or somewhere that has no shade from the noonday sun, you must make some. The best materials to use for a temporary shade cloth are muslin, chevron, organza or cheesecloth. These textiles are readily available and cheap. There is also professional shade cloth available from greenhouse suppliers. Every two or three days expose your plants a little bit more, gradually moving your plants to their permanent summer location. If at any time you see damage, take a step back in the process. It is very important to know the light requirements of your individual plants. Remember some plants are shade loving plants and no amount of acclimatization will ever prepare them for direct sunlight.
Recipe
Ten cigarettes or a pinch of strong tobacco
2 cups of boiling water
One ounce of gin
One ounce of antiseptic mouth wash
One cup lemon scented dish soap
Make a tea with the tobacco and boiling water. Let it steep until the water is cold, then filter out the tobacco. Now add all of the other ingredients to your tobacco tea. Mix it all together. Use the brew at one teaspoon per quart of water or 5ml per litre.
The tobacco is the poisonous part of this tea. The gin will interfere with the reproductive cycle of a lot of insects. The antiseptic mouthwash will attack bacteria and fungus spores. The lemon dish soap will act as a wetting agent, making the spray stick to the plants. It will also give insects diarrhea and the lemon scent helps to drive insects away.
Be patient and enjoy.
Indoor Gardener May 2006