Q: Every winter, I end up losing some of my indoor plants. They will look fine all summer, but once winter comes, they quickly decline and die. How can I prevent this from happening?
Many plants will enter a period of dormancy in the late fall or early winter. The combination of cooler temperatures and shorter daylight hours are signals that tell plants that it’s naptime. Growth will slow down or completely stop, which means that the plant’s need for water and/or fertilizer has decreased dramatically. Any water or nutrients are going to stay in the soil and are not going to be taken up by the plant since they are not needed. If you keep the same watering and fertilizing schedule as in summertime, those plants are going to show symptoms of root rot.
Look for signs of dormancy, like slow or no growth. This is likely to start in late October (if not earlier). Once this happens, reduce watering by at least half. I like to just give my plants a little sip once or twice a week. Even if they enjoy a good soaking in the summer, refrain from doing this in the darker, cooler months. An occasional spritz with cool water helps keep the leaves clean and can give a little relief from dry indoor air. Keep an eye out for pests such as spider mites and scales and treat as needed.
Q: What is the difference between the big brown garden snails and decollette snails?
Common garden snails (the big brown ones) are quite destructive, especially to seedlings and small plants. They usually emerge at night to munch on tender young plants, leaving their silvery slime trails behind. If you see young plants that look like they’ve been snipped off just above soil level, along with the telltale slime trails, you’ve likely been visited by brown garden snails. Slugs can inflict this type of damage as well, but, since they are smaller, they are not as destructive.
Look for their hiding places so you can annihilate them. They usually congregate under pots and other dark, moist spaces. One of the very few redeeming qualities of rats is their appetite for brown snails. If you find a pile of empty shells, it was left there by rats. This may not be a big deal if you found the shells under a pile of brush, but if you see them under the hood of your car, you have a more urgent rat problem.
Brown snails can be controlled with beer traps or bait. I recommend Sluggo, since it is less toxic to pets. Decollette snails have long been sold as a biological control for brown snails. These little, cone-shaped snails will eat brown snail eggs and sometimes young snails. They shouldn’t be relied on for controlling adult brown snails (although I did once witness about a dozen decollette gang up on a solitary brown snail). If you purchase decollette snails for brown snail control, don’t use bait since the decollettes can be killed by it.
Los Angeles County
mglosangeleshelpline@ucdavis.edu; 626-586-1988; celosangeles.ucanr.edu/UC_Master_Gardener_Program/
Orange County
ucceocmghotline@ucanr.edu; mgorange.ucanr.edu/
Riverside County
anrmgriverside@ucanr.edu; 951-955-0170; ucanr.edu/sites/RiversideMG/
San Bernardino County
mgsanbern@ucanr.edu; 909-387-2182; mgsb.ucanr.edu
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