2. Accepting Plants from Others

Do you often find that your friends and family often give you plants for the greenhouse? They don’t want them, or they have to many of that one plant, so they bring these plants to you for a home. Are you able to say ‘no’ to these people or do you find yourself overwhelmed with plants that you don’t know anything about? Learn how to say no, and when you can’t; learn more about how to protect your greenhouse from bugs and diseases.

If a friend shows up at your home with an armful of goodies that have been outside all summer, and now they are telling you that you can keep them and winterize them if you want you have a couple of options. You could smile and say ‘thanks’, and keep them if you like them or you can smile and say ‘thanks’, and pitch them out after they leave or you can smile and say ‘thanks, but you should have called, my greenhouse is packed’. And then you can accept them being nice, and do what ever with them after they leave but this person will know that you don’t have a need for plants, so next time they will ask if you want them before just brining them over.

If this is a person that you are just unable to say no to, you still have a plan to protect your flowers and pests that may come with gifts. Here is a simple plan, that you can add any other protection steps to, so your greenhouse remains pest and bug free:

After your friend leaves, check the plant for insects of all types. Check on the top of the leaves, under the leaves, and move the mulch or dirt around a little to look for movement. To be extra careful, you can wash down with a soap and water mixture. If you find that there are critters, and you really like the plant, you can soak the plant totally in water for at least two days to get the bugs to leave.

You can cut the plant back a little to make sure it will survive its new home and it’s new environmental condition. Make sure your don’t cut back more than half of the leaves so that the roots can get a good start.

I always repot a plant that is brought to me so I can inspect the dirt and the roots, and I know that the plant is not root bound as it starts its new life in my greenhouse. You have many options when accepting plants, but the general rule is just to be nice about it, because you never know just what kind of plant is going to be coming your way!

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