Making your plants last
The Dusty Miller that I grew in planters on this year’s patio garden was the clear champion of the season. Not only did the plants survive a huge deer incursion without suffering a nibble, but they’ve also now held up to several frosts. Amazingly, the plants still look as good — if not better — than when we brought them home from the local garden center six months ago.
This got me wondering: could I bring the plants indoors and grow them as houseplants? Didn’t they deserve better than to be left outside to succumb to killing cold temperatures or to just be yanked out of their pots and tossed onto the compost pile? I thought, yes. In fact, I wondered why I hadn’t thought of this before. I mean, I’ve overwintered geraniums, and they have similar requirements indoors, i.e., as much light as possible (they’re full-sun lovers outside) and not much water (they can suffer root-rot).
Obviously, I’d need to act before freezing temperatures damaged the foliage, so I couldn’t wait much longer to decide to bring in the plants. A Google search confirmed that while Dusty Miller does not do well as a longterm houseplant, it can survive in a brightly lit area indoors until the weather warms up in the spring.
Here are some simple tips from an article at hunker.com by Brandee Gruener:
— If your Dusty Miller is not already in a pot, dig up the plant, taking care not to damage the root ball. Replant in fresh potting soil in a pot that’s slightly bigger than the root ball. Set the pot in a shady area for a few days before bringing it inside.
— Spray the leaves with an insecticidal soap to prevent insects from hitchhiking a ride indoors, where they can infest your houseplants.
— Bring the pot indoors and set it in a brightly lit location. Water only when the top inch or two of soil is dry and do not allow the pot to sit in water. Trim back any leggy growth. The next spring, once the danger of frost has passed, gradually move the pot outdoors, beginning with a shady area for a few hours a day. Bring the pot indoors at night until evening temperatures remain above 40 degrees. As the plant begins to acclimate to the outdoors, you can begin to gradually move it to sunnier areas and leave it outdoors longer. Once temperatures are consistently warm, you can leave your pot outdoors or replant Dusty Miller in the garden to join your spring annual flowers.
Dusty Miller is also known as Silver Ragwort. Formerly labeled Senecio cineraria, the plant was recently placed in a different genus and renamed Jacobaea maritima, though you may still find it referred to by its original name. Whatever it’s called, Dusty Miller makes a lovely contrast to almost any plants you combine it with.
The “felted” white appearance of the leaves is created by a covering of fine, matted hairs. In the rain, you will probably notice that you can now see the green of the underlying leaves showing through. Fully hardy in planting zones 8-10.
In its native Mediterranean region, Dusty grows as a shrubby perennial. I’ve never had any of my plants get to the flowering stage, but the “starry” blossoms put it into the Aster plant family (Asteraceae).
One caution: all parts of the plant are poisonous if ingested, so take precautions if you have pets or small children. Also, contact with the foliage can be a skin irritant
for some people. You can of course test it out for yourself or simply wear gloves as a precaution when handling it.
To read Gruener’s full article go to: https://www.hunker. com/13404280/how-towinterize-dusty-millers gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pamelacbaxter@gmail. com, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442. Share your gardening stories on Facebook at “Chester County Roots.” Pam’s nature-related books for children and families are available at Amazon.com/ author/pamelabaxter.