Sparking interest in Fireflash

QUESTION: I have a new houseplant known as a Fireflash. How should I take care of it?

Fireflash. Photo by Maja Dumat – flickr.com

Fireflash (Chlorophytum orchidastrum is the botanical name) is a houseplant that you don’t see often, but sounds like it would be a nice addition to any indoor garden. It’s a striking plant, with large, green pointed-oval leaves and bright orange stems. The Flowers & Plants Association, based in the UK, describes it as “a very easy plant.”
Fireflash is related to the more familiar spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) and enjoys similar growing conditions: it’s tolerant of a range of light conditions (but will probably do better in low light than spider plant) and normal room temperatures. Water Fireflash sparingly about once a week during warm weather, less in winter; don’t allow the soil to dry out completely, but don’t let the plant sit in water, either. The Flowers & Plants Association suggests feeding it every two weeks during the growing season and not at all during winter.
Garden events in Middle Tennessee
March 23 – 24: Middle Tennessee Daffodil Society’s Spring Daffodil Show is at Cheekwood’s Botanic Hall in Massey Auditorium. Daffodil entries are accepted between 8 and 10 a.m. March 23, and the show is open to the public 1:30 – 4:30 March 23 and 11:30 – 4 March 24.
April 6: Perennial Plant Society of Middle Tennessee Plant Sale, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds in the Sports Arena Building. This is the largest perennial plant sale in Tennessee, and offers hundreds of varieties including natives, grasses, groundcovers, small shrubs and select annuals along with the perennial favorites. For details, visit the PPS web site.

Author David Haskell will be the keynote speaker at a Trails & Trilliums event.

April 12 – 14: Trails & Trilliums, guided hikes, wildflower walks, native plant sales, speakers, workshops and children’s events, sponsored by the Friends of South Cumberland State Park. Keynote address by David Haskell, author of the award-winning book The Forest Unseen, April 13 during the Wine & Wildflowers event. General admission is $10, and a $20 donation provides entry to all hikes and workshops and the Gardens Gone Wild event. For a complete schedule, visit trailsandtrilliums.org.
April 13: Bloom N Garden plant sale sponsored by the Williamson County Master Gardeners Association, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Carnton Plantation in Franklin. Admission is free; there is a nominal fee for guided tours of the Carnton garden.
April 16: Orchid Society of Middle Tennessee meets at 7 p.m. at Cheekwood’s Botanic Hall. Speaker is Barry Jones, and his topic is “Compact to Miniature Orchids.” Learn more about OSMT here.
April 20: Herb Society of Nashville Herb Sale, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds Sports Arena Building. Hard-to-find varieties of annual and perennial herbs, shopping assistance, The Compost Man. New this year: a square-foot gardening display, and handmade pottery by Roy Overcast. Admission is free; $5 parking fee at the Fairgrounds. Visit the Herb Society of Nashville’s web site to learn more, and on Facebook at The Herb Society of Nashville.
April 20 – 21: The Skillery Grow Down, a celebration of gardening and growing presented in partnership with Hands On Nashville’s Urban Agriculture Program. Classes and workshops held at HON’s Urban Farm in South Nashville and at various locations throughout Nashville. For a complete schedule and registration details, visit TheSkillery.com.
June 15: Middle Tennessee Daylily Society annual Daylily Show and Sale, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Ed Jones Auditorium, Ellington Agricultural Center. Most daylilies on sale for $5, and many new varieties on display at the show.

Jade plant rejuvenation

QUESTION: I have a jade plant that has grown well for several years, but the stems are tall and bare and all the leaves are at the top. I admit there are times I forget to water it. Can this be fixed?

Given the right conditions, a jade plant (Crassula ovate) should be an easy-care houseplant. It’s shiny, fleshy leaves make it an interesting addition to your décor. If it has been neglected, it can probably be rejuvenated as long as there is still healthy growth.

You can take stem cuttings of the old plant and root them in new soil. Houseplant expert Barbara Pleasant suggests this method: Cut the stems just below a node, and allow the cuttings to dry for about five days, then plant them in a mixture of damp sand and peat moss. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy. Each cutting should grow roots and form a new plant. You may also have some success if you root the cutting in water, and plant the rooted cutting in potting mix.

That doesn’t address the problem of neglect, though. Jade plants can be forgiving, yes, but they do need a little attention.  The plants become leggy when they receive too little light. They need about four hours of filtered sun each day, and average room temperature. Allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings. Spring through fall, feed every few weeks with a balanced houseplant fertilizer at half the normal strength, Barbara Pleasant suggests. It is not necessary to fertilize in winter. A jade plant may enjoy the summer outdoors as long as you can provide a shady, protected spot.
Garden events in Middle Tennessee

Gardens designed to inspire at the Nashville Lawn & Garden Show.

Feb. 28 – March 3: Nashville Lawn & Garden Show at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. More than 20 live gardens (all indoors!) by local landscape professionals; a series of free lectures by expert horticulturists and garden designers, and 250 booths of horticultural products, services and equipment for show and sale. Hours are 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Feb. 28, March 1 and 2, and 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. March 3. This annual event is produced by the Horticultural Association of Tennessee. Learn more here.
March 16: Backyard Sustainable Gardening workshops sponsored by Hands On Nashville and led by Cliff Davis of Spiral Ridge Permaculture. Day-long mini-course introduces the theory behind permaculture and offers hands-on training. Learn the basics of permaculture. Workshops will take place at the nands On Nashville Urban Farm, 361 Wimpole Drive. Learn more and register here.
March 23 – 24: Middle Tennessee Daffodil Society’s Spring Daffodil Show is at Cheekwood’s Botanic Hall in Massey Auditorium. Daffodil entries are accepted between 8 and 10 a.m. March 23, and the show is open to the public 1:30 – 4:30 March 23 and 11:30 – 4 March 24.

The cure for overgrown pothos

QUESTION: My pothos in a hanging basket spent the summer outdoors in the shade this summer. When I brought it in, I discovered the stems had grown very long but most of the leaves are near the ends, and the stems are bare in the middle. Will it hurt to cut the stems back?

Pothos is a popular, easy-to-grow houseplant. It won’t hurt to cut the stems back; in fact, houseplant experts recommend giving them a trim every now and then to keep the plants bushy and full.

Pothos may be the perfect houseplant for anyone who says they can’t keep a houseplant alive. It does best in moderate to bright light and a moderate amount of water, but is tolerant if you forget to water it. In fact, it prefers soil that is on the dry side over soggy soil. If it stays too wet, the leaves may turn yellow and drop off. Houseplant expert and author Barbara Pleasant notes that if pothos grows in very low light, the stems grow longer with more space between the leaves.

To help the plants fill out again, cut the bare stems to within 2 inches of the soil, or cut stems above a leaf node (where the leaf emerges from the stem). These cut-off stem tips can be rooted in water, and the rooted cuttings can be potted in regular potting soil.

Great gift for gardeners

Here’s something any gardener would enjoy as the new gardening season cranks up in 2013: Rodale, the publisher of Organic Gardening magazine, offers the Organic Gardening Desk Calendar, a year-full of tips for good gardening, and providing ample space each day, diary-style, to jot notes, sketches, tasks and to-do lists. It’s illustrated with beautiful photographs by garden photographer Matthew Benson (who I talked to earlier this year after the publication of his book, The Photographic Garden), and it includes a special feature, “Fun with Backyard Chickens,” that’s perfect for anyone who may be thinking of adding hens to the backyard garden experience.

You can order the calendar/diary from Rodale for $21.95.

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Give porch ferns a place indoors

QUESTION: Is there a way to save Boston ferns over the winter without bringing them into the house? The ferns I had on my porch this year were large and beautiful. Indoors, they drop leaves and make a mess. Can I keep them in the garage?

Most experts suggest the best way to keep Boston ferns over the winter is to bring them in and treat them like house plants. Unless your garage has a window that allows bright light to enter, it’s probably not the best option.

Southern Living Garden Book provides a method that may minimize leaf drop: “In fall, use sharp scissors to cut back all side fronds to the rim of the pot, leaving the top growth about 10 inches high. Place the pot indoors next to your brightest window and keep the soil fairly moist. By spring, your plant should be bushy again and ready for its return to the porch.”

Houseplant expert Barbara Pleasant (The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual) adds that Boston ferns need high humidity in addition to bright, filtered light, so daily misting is helpful. A light dose of balanced houseplant fertilizer every couple of weeks keeps them healthy.

It’s normal for them to shed leaves, she says, so keep scissors handy for clipping broken or brown fronds.

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Fall is here and winter is on the way, but there’s still gardening to be done. Check out the Winter edition of the Garden Calendar in Saturday’s Tennessean.

Garden events in Middle Tennessee

Nov. 11: The Tennessee Gesneriad Society will meet at 2 p.m. in Cheekwood’s Botanic Hall. The program will be an African violet workshop. For more information contact Julie at Julie.mavity@gmail.com or 615-364-8459.

Nov. 17: The Nashville Tree Foundation hosts ReLeafing Day. Volunteers meet at 8 a.m. at Coleman Park, near Thompson Lane and Nolensville Road, to plant trees in the Woodbine area. Find more details and sign up to volunteer at www.nashvilletreefoundation.org or call 292-5175.

Nov. 20: The Perennial Plant Society meets at Cheekwood’s Botanic Hall, with the program “Winter Landscape Maintenance for Woody Ornamentals” presented by UT Extension agent David Cook. Refreshments and plant swap at 6:30 p.m., meeting and program at 7 p.m. Open to the public.

Dec. 14: All About Gardening, 9 – 10:30 am. at Warner Park Nature Center. Learn when and how to grow an organic garden from naturalist Deb Beazley. Class is limited to 15 adults; call to register, 352-6299.

Jan. 6: The Nashville African Violet Club meets at the Green Hill meets at the Green Hill Women’s Center, 10905 Lebanon Road in Mt. Juliet. For more information, contact Julie at Julie.mavity@gmail.com or 615-364-8459.

Bring bay indoors

I bought a bay laurel seedling this past spring that was about six inches tall and set it out in a pot in the herb garden because I heard you may have to bring it indoors in the winter. It’s now about a foot tall. Could it survive outdoors? How do you harvest and use the leaves?

Bay laurel, or sweet bay (Laurus nobilis) is generally considered hardy to Zone 8 (well to the south of us here in Middle Tennessee), so it will need to come indoors before it gets too cold.

Place the plant where it gets as much sun as you can give it, in a south or west-facing window, if possible, and don’t let it get too dry (keep the soil evenly moist but not overly wet, the experts at the Herb Society of America suggest). It may also appreciate occasional misting if the air in your house is very dry. Take it back outdoors when the weather is consistently above freezing in the spring.

Bay leaves can be used dried or fresh; they’re usually added to long-cooking soups and stews. Snip them from the plant and use them as needed, or dry them to save for later. Use them whole (crumbled leaves have very sharp edges, which could be an unpleasant surprise to diners), and be sure to remove them before you serve. A bay leaf is a key ingredient in a bouquet garni (tied in a bundle along with thyme, parsley and other herbs), which would be added to a dish while it’s cooking and removed before serving.

By the way, there have been reports of bay laurel surviving the winter in colder climates, provided it is in a protected area. But to be on the safe side, find a sunny spot for it indoors.

Garden events in Middle Tennessee

Sept. 18:  Perennial Plant Society’s monthly meeting at Cheekwood’s Botanic Hall begins with refreshments at 6:30 p.m., meeting at 7 p.m. Speaker is Terry White.

Sept. 22 & 23: Many rare and unusual houseplants will be available at the Tennessee Gesneriad Society’s annual Flower Show and plant sale, which will be held at Cheekwood’s Botanic Hall. The event is open to the public 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Sunday. To learn more contact Julie Mavity-Hudson at Julie.mavity@gmail.com.

Sept. 27: Middle Tennessee Hosta Society meets at 6:30 p.m. at Cheekwood. Speaker is Susan Webb of Hurricane Valley Ornamentals in Gurley, Ala. Topic is “Growing Miniature Hostas in Hypertufa Containers.”

Sept. 29: Herb Society of Nashville’s Herb Day at Cheekwood’s Botanic Hall: “Cooking & Gardening with Native Plants.” 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; admission is $40 plus Cheekwood gate fee. To register: www.herbsocietynashville.org.

October 6: The Nashville Rose Society and Chattanooga Tri-State Rose Society host the annual Tenarky District Fall Convention and Rose Show Oct. 5 – 7. Events open to the public on Oct. 6 include Rose Garden Tours, 9 – 11 a.m.; a rose show, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.; and a public seminar: Basics of Growing Roses,” 2:30 p.m. Learn more here.

Oct. 16: Perennial Plant Society’s monthly meeting at Cheekwood’s Botanic Hall begins with refreshments and plant swap at 6:30 p.m.; program at 7 p.m. Speaker is landscaper Tina Ramsey  on the topic, “Winter Gardening.” Open to the public.

Good luck with ‘bamboo’

QUESTION: I have a “lucky bamboo” plant in a pot of water with pebbles that looked great for awhile, but now it has grown big shoots out of each of the stalks. Can I cut off these shoots and re-pot them?

The first thing you need to know about lucky bamboo that it’s not bamboo at all, but a plant in the genus Dracaena (specifically, D. Sanderiana). Its close kin includes two other popular houseplants: corn plant andMadagascar dragon tree.

Growers of this easy-care plant suggest not cutting it from the top, but you can remove the extra shoots from the stalk with a sharp knife. Cut it flush with the stalk if you don’t want another shoot to grow in the same place. If you do want a shoot to re-emerge, cut it about 1/8-inch out from the stalk. You can try to root the cut-off shoots in water: Dip the ends in rooting hormone powder and let them dry overnight, then place the shoots in water. Eventually, new roots may grow. You can grow lucky bamboo in water or in soil.

These are relatively low-maintenance plants, but you do need to pay attention to the water they’re in, and add water as it evaporates so the roots don’t dry out. Every week or so, pour out the old water and add fresh, preferably filtered water, or tap water that you have allowed to sit out overnight.

Keep lucky bamboo out of direct light and away from extreme heat or cold, and feed it every couple of months with a very dilute solution of plant food (about 1/10 the recommended strength, plant care specialists suggest).

Upcoming events

-Nashville’s native plant expert Margie Hunter is the guest at the February 21 meeting of the Perennial Plant Society. Her topic is “Going Natural in the Garden: Let Nature Be Your Guide.” The meeting is in Cheekwood’s Botanic Hall. Refreshments at6:30, meeting begins at 7, and is open to the public.

-Spring is on its way! The Nashville Lawn & Garden Show is March 1 – 4  the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. Gardens, exhibit booths, lectures and more. Details here.

-In Putnam County, the Upper Cumberland Home & Garden Show is March 2 – 4 at Hyder Burks Agricultural Pavilion at Tennessee Tech inCookeville. Vendors, speakers and more, 4 – 8 p.m. March 2; 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. March 3; noon–4 p.m. March 4.

-The Nashville Rose Society is holding its annual Vendor Night at the March 6 meeting. This is the chance for rose growers – and all gardeners — to shop for supplies from mid-state vendors. 7 p.m.in Cheekwood’s Botanic Hall. The event is open to the public, More on the Nashville Rose Society here.

-The Middle Tennessee Daffodil Society Spring Show is March 31 and April 1 in the Potter Room, Cheekwood’s Botanic Hall. More about MTDS here.

-And it’s not too early to get these on your calendar, because these are events you won’t want to miss:

The Perennial Plant Society’s annual sale is coming back to the Tennessee State Fairgrounds April 14,9 a.m. – 2 p.m. There will be thousands of perennials for sale for sun and shade, all fromTennessee growers, so they’re adapted to our growing conditions. Admission is free, but PPSMT notes that the Fairgrounds has a $5 parking fee. To learn more, visit the PPSMT’s website here.

The Herb Society of Nashville’s annual plant sale is April 21 at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. It’s 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., but get there early to browse through 15,000 herbs (including some of those hard-to-find varieties) and talk to the Answer Ladies and all the other herb fanciers who turn out for this annual event. Look for more info at the Society’s website here,  and on Facebook here.

Keep African violets blooming

QUESTION: My African violets were blooming beautifully when I got them a few months ago, but no longer. How can I get them to bloom again?

It’s easy to love those dainty clusters of blossoms rising from rosettes of downy leaves. African violets look like they’d be fussy plants, but quite the opposite: “They’re easy to grow if you know a few secrets,” says Julie Mavity-Hudson of the Nashville African Violet Club.

One of those secrets may surprise you: African violets tend to bloom better when they’re slightly root-bound, so don’t rush to move them to larger pots. They thrive in bright, indirect light and average room temperatures, in soil that is kept slightly moist. “The thing that kills more African violets than anything is overwatering,” Mavity-Hudson says.

Failure to bloom might be because the plant is not getting enough light. In winter, when the light is low, try moving it to a south or west window where the light is brighter, but move it away from the window when the light is more intense. Direct sun will burn the leaves of African violets.

A light feeding of high-phosphorous plant food every few weeks may also help. Houseplant expert Barbara Pleasant (The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual) suggests adding a light pinch of Epsom salts to water to push balky plants into bloom.

To get together with other African violet aficionados, check out the Nashville African Violet Club, which meets the first Sunday of most months,1:45, at the Green Hill Women’s Center,10905 Lebanon RoadinMt.Juliet. The meetings are open to the public.

Events coming up

– Professional Landscape Association of Nashville, Tennessee – P.L.A.N.T. – will hold its winter seminar Thursday (Jan. 12),8 a.m. – 4 p.m., in Massey Hall atCheekwoodBotanical   Garden. The day’s topics include “Right Plant Right Spot,” by Kerry Mendez; “Pruning Techniques & Best Management Practices” by Karla Kean; Perennial Plant Collector’s Corner by Kerry Mendez; and “Longwood Gardens’ Vision for Horticultural Excellence and Beauty,” by Rodney Eason. Registration at the door is $100 for P.L.A.N.T. members, $125 for non-members (includes lunch). To learn more, visit P.L.A.N.T.’s Web site here.

–Another reminder that the Nashville Lawn & Garden Show is March 1 – 4 at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. This year’s theme is Gardens Past, Present & Future, and as always the show features beautiful live gardens, 250 exhibit booths, a floral design gallery and a roster of free lectures.

Peter J. Hatch. The Thomas Jefferson Foundation Inc. at Monticello, photo by Robert Llewellyn.

Peter J. Hatch, Director of Gardens and Grounds at Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, is one of this year’s speakers. Hatch is scheduled to speak on Friday, March 2 about “Thomas Jefferson’s Revolutionary Garden,” which featured more than 330 varieties of vegetables. On Saturday, March 3, Hatch will discuss Jefferson’s use of native plants, the union of gardening and sociability, and his experimentation with useful plants as a means of social change in his talk, “Thomas Jefferson, Gardener.” Other popular speakers are returning: Jeff Poppen, The Barefoot Farmer from Long Hungry Creek Farm in Red   Boiling Springs,Tenn.; Rita Randolph of Randolph’s Greenhouses from Jackson, Tenn.; and Justin Stelter, historic gardener for Carnton Plantation in Franklin and The Hermitage, Home of Andrew Jackson. Information about these free lectures is at the Nashville Lawn & Garden Show Web site.

Admission will be $10 for adults ($9 if you’re 65 or older), and this year the Tennessee State Fairgrounds will charge $5 per vehicle to park during the show. The Web site promises group discount and coupon offers coming soon.

Rubber tree can bounce back

QUESTION: I have a huge rubber plant that is very old. I’ve had to tie it to stakes in the pot to keep it from growing in all directions and out of control. Can I prune it?

A rubber plant, or rubber tree (Ficus elastica) can be transformed from an unmanageable mess into a more dignified plant. It takes a little planning and observation, but the results can be worthwhile, and can provide more plants in the process.

Before you make the first cut, look at the plant to determine how it might look after it’s pruned. New leaves will grow where you cut it, so keep that in mind as you remove the branches. The cuttings you remove can be placed in water, where they will often form new roots. After they grow a good system of roots, they can be potted in soil.

Houseplant experts also suggest a process called air-layering to prune old plants and grow new ones. This is accomplished by cutting into the plant’s stem where you want to prune it. The cut is then wrapped in moss and plastic wrap, and new roots grow from the cut area. After new roots form, cut off the new plant and pot it separately. Early spring, when the plant is entering a period of active growth, is a good time to try to trim it into shape.

Here are general guidelines for keeping a rubber plant alive and well: bright to moderate light (no direct sun) and average room temperature. Keep the soil evenly moist. A rubber plant probably does not need as much water during the winter. It can spend summer outdoors in a protected location, but be sure to bring it in before temperatures begin to drop in the fall.

O, Christmas pine

QUESTION: I’m using a Norfolk Island pine as a small Christmas tree. What do I need to do to keep it looking nice, and how do I care for it when the holidays are over?

Norfolk Island pine provides a nice alternative to the big tree at Christmas, especially if your space is small or your decorating is simple. It’s best not to load it down with large, heavy ornaments that could break the feathery limbs. Use lights sparingly, if at all, and remove them as soon as you can after Christmas is over.

When it’s time to change it from a Christmas tree to a houseplant, place it in a spot (preferably in a cool room) that gets bright, indirect light – a south- or west-facing window is good – and give it a quarter-turn once a week to encourage it to grow straight up.

The biggest threats to Araucaria heterophylla (that’s the tree’s botanical name) are dry soil and dry air. Keep the soil consistently moist, but don’t let the pot sit in water. Increase humidity in its environment as much as possible. A daily misting could go a long way toward keeping the plant healthy. If the air remains too dry, the Norfolk Island pine responds by dropping its needles, and once they’re gone, they don’t grow back.

Houseplant specialists suggest using a balanced fertilizer once a month in summer, and be on the lookout for pests. Spider mites and mealybugs are drawn to this plant. A cautionary note about placing it outdoors: it’s a very tender plant, and will be damaged if the temperature falls below 40 degrees.

With care, a Norfolk Island pine can last for many years. They grow very large in their native South Pacific environment, but in a home, the tree usually grows, over time, to about 6 feet.

 

Water in winter

Landscapers know this, but we casual gardeners may not remember that even though it’s winter, the garden still needs water. Pay special attention to newly planted trees and shrubs, broadleaf evergreens (which continue to “breathe” even during winter), pansy beds and perennials that you planted in the fall.

Mulch keeps soil from drying out too quickly, but if the weather is cold but very dry, the soil will eventually dry out.

 

Events

A couple of garden-related events coming up:

- The Tennessee Gesneriad Society will meet Jan. 8 at 2 p.m.at Cheekwood in Botanic Hall. The program will be a slide show on Gesneriads. For more info contact Julie at Julie.mavity@gmail.com or 615-364-8459.

- The Perennial Plant Society is planning its January meeting and welcomes visitors. The guest on Jan. 17 will be Alan S. Windham, Ph.D, Professor of Plant Pathology with UT Extension in the UT Institute of Agriculture at Ellington Agriculture inNashville. He’ll speak on “Hot Topics On Diseases of Perennials.” Refreshments served at6:30 p.m., and the meeting begins at7 p.m.

No-fly zone

QUESTION: Some of the plants I brought in from outdoors seem to have tiny white flying bugs all around them, and are a nuisance. What are they? And what can I do about them?

 

Schefflera can play host to whiteflies.

These are likely whiteflies, and they often ride in on plants that spent summer outdoors. They’re more than a nuisance; they feed on the plant’s juices and can cause the leaves to turn yellow and die. The insects that are flying are the adults, and if you look at the undersides of the leaves you may be able to see the tiny yellow eggs and larvae.

Whiteflies feed on dozens of plant species and they reproduce quickly, so the problem could get out of hand quickly. To get rid of them, remove the badly infested leaves, then rinse the plant thoroughly and spray with an insecticidal soap. Be sure to treat the undersides of the leaves. Repeat the spraying every week or so.

Next fall, examine them closely to be sure there are no pests hitching a ride. Wash the leaves and treat the plants before you move them indoors. There are several other insect pests that you should watch for:

Aphids: they usually gather in clusters on tender young leaves. They also feed on a plant’s juices. Insecticidal soap, or washing with water or rubbing alcohol, is usually effective.

Mealybugs: You may see white, cottony clusters on stems or leaves, or where the leaf joins the stem. They also feed on the plants, so get rid of them by rubbing them off with water or alcohol.

Spider mites: They are barely visible, but you’ll certainly notice the damage – light-colored, speckled areas on top surfaces of leaves. You may see webbing stretching between leaves if there is a heavy infestation. Wash the plant with soapy water, and treat with insecticidal soap a day or two later. It may require diligence and several applications to control these insects.

UT Extension provides a booklet at its Web site that addresses these problems and more: Insects and Related Pests of House Plants (PB1157).