I guess winter is coming

[squirrelitude]

Today I finally did the main part of our winterizing:

- Opened the exterior hose spigot and closed the interior stopcock
- Drained the hoses, coiled them up, and closed their ends to keep the critters out
- Emptied the rain barrels, coiled the overflow drains, and set the barrels on their sides
- Tested the steam heating
- Brought the plants in, oh god so many plants where will I put them all

Yesterday the landlord finally got someone to go around and clean the gutters and install leaf guards. (Yay!) I found chunks of gritty soil in the driveway that had been scooped out of the gutters, along with some chunks of ice. We apparently had first frost a few weeks ago, and I know the weather reports have had the local temperature dropping to freezing, but the plants have been protected from the cold so far by shelter and ground warmth. (The gutters, not so much.) I think the plants are pretty much about done, though; all the cold sensitive ones have been weakening, and I don't know *which* of my citrus are cold hardy, and how much. (The mandarins, yes, but unsure on the calamondins etc.) And honestly there just aren't that many degree-days left, so bring 'em in.

Here's hoping the spider mites don't get too bad this year. I might get some predatory mites again, and am considering experimenting with a large humidity tent for one of the plant tables.

Comments

[wispfox]

I fight scale and those fluffy cotton-looking things, myself.

[squirrelitude]

Oh yeah, scale is a thing too. My citrus get those all over, and I don't find out until they're lousy with 'em. I think my dad uses a soap or oil spray, not sure.

Never had the fluffy things here, for some reason. (Woolly aphids?)

[wispfox]

Probably neem oil. Works ok if you remember to use it enough. :)

And I think mealybugs: https://www.guide-to-houseplants.com/mealybugs.html

[squirrelitude]

I don't think he uses neem oil much -- I know he uses soap on some plants, and horticultural oil spray on others. And he definitely uses pyrethrins at times. I think that's about it for the indoor/outdoor plants.

I've brought a tomatillo cutting inside and it already shows signs of spider mites under the humidity tent, so I've got my neem spray mixed up and ready...