It’s getting close to time to move plants inside. When you bring them in, you usually have to fight the bugs you bring in with them. Be sure to spray them good a week or so before moving them. Cynara is a great chemical to use.  It’s safe and labeled for this.  

House plants have made a great comeback. They don’t need a lot of attention. You might want to use a little fertilizer every other week.  Fertilome makes a Houseplant Hero plant food, it is a 10-10-10. It mixes a 1/4 teaspoon to a quart of water. Avoid over watering and using water that has passed through a water softening unit. Water when soil is dry. Re-pot once per year into a larger pot of appropriate size and use a premium potting mix. I like the Baccto potting soils. Make sure the plants have plenty of light.

So as not to have to spray the plants for insects while they are inside, you can use sticky traps.  Sticky traps capture fungus gnats, fruit flies, leaf miners, thrips, and aphids.  They will also trap spiders.  Sticky traps are not expensive and will do a  good job for you. 

(Mitzi Thomas owns Minden Farm & Garden LLC. Watch for her column on Fridays in Webster Parish Journal.)