DATE:     10/29/98
WRITER:   Bob Polomski, Extension consumer horticulturist, 
          (864)656-2604

Tempting Fate: Growing Annuals Indoors

     CLEMSON --  At this time of year we can predict the fate of
our summer annuals when the first freezing temperatures of autumn
blanket our landscapes. It is a dire but expected outcome for
these temporary residents. My grandmother used to say that
annuals rented space from her shrubs and trees.
     Nevertheless, some gardeners feel compelled to change the 
course of fate. They frantically scramble to save a few of their 
flowering annuals. The plants are dug up, stuffed into pots and 
quickly hustled indoors.
     In a matter of days or weeks their destiny remains the same.
The leaves and flowers wither and the annuals find their way back
outdoors--on top of the compost pile.
     Contrary to what Fate would have you believe, some annuals
can be moved from the landscape and brought indoors to grow and
flower during the winter months. Then, in the spring, they can be
returned to the landscape. However, to be successful in this
venture, you should choose annuals suited for growing and
flowering indoors, properly transport them into your home, and
provide the right indoor growing conditions.
     When these annuals bloom during the fall and winter months, 
they are a welcome change from the pansies and ornamental kales 
and cabbages that occupy landscapes in the winter. Also, you can
perpetuate favorite annuals or cultivars by overwintering them in
your home and transplanting them outdoors in the spring. And by
carrying over this year's annuals, you can save money next spring
because you won't have to purchase seeds or transplants.
     Not all annuals are candidates for growing indoors during
the winter months. Some can cope with the short days of winter
and dry indoor air better than others. Following is a list of a
number of annuals  that are suited for growing in your indoor
garden: 
     You will notice on the list that some annuals, such as
browallia and wax begonia, also double as house plants; expect
them to bloom throughout the winter. Other annuals, such as
portulaca and ageratum may bloom until December or January.
     Once the plants stop flowering, don't throw them out. If
they remain healthy, you can take cuttings in early spring to
multiply the number of plants you already have or you can move
the entire plant into the landscape.
     This list is not complete; I encourage you to add to this
list by experimenting with other kinds of annuals. "Nothing
ventured, nothing gained" as the saying goes.
     When selecting cultivars or other kinds of annuals not
included in the list, I recommend choosing miniature or dwarf 
types. The home offers less space than the landscape, and from my
experience, taller annuals don't seem to thrive as well as their
smaller brethren. Also, the taller ones evolve into gangly,
straggly-looking plants that are more appropriate for the compost
pile than the home. 
     Moving entire plants indoors in my opinion is easier than
the other possible method, taking stem cuttings, and offers
higher chances for success. Dig up the root ball and place it
into a suitably sized container. If the plants are too big for
containers, take stem cuttings or let the freeze take the plants
out and buy new annuals next year.
     Any house plant potting soil is fine, as long as it allows
good drainage and is heavy enough to support the plant. For some
heavy, commercial potting mixes, I mix in compost so it makes 
up a third of the total volume of soil in the container.  
     Once the plant is potted up, water it and place it in a
shady spot to recover for several days. I prefer to keep the
plant outdoors until I see new signs of growth before bringing it
indoors to be "shocked" a second time by a new environment.
     Before bringing the potted plants indoors, examine them 
carefully for pests. This is a critical step because these
creatures could wreak havoc on the other plants in your home. The
fall landscape is a hotbed for insects in South Carolina, so it
is important that you check out your plants as carefully as you 
would examine your pet for ticks or fleas before allowing them
inside your home. 
     Look under the leaves, in the leaf axils and in every 
conceivable nook and cranny for insects and their eggs. Remove
any diseased or dead leaves by hand. Insect-infested plants can
be doused with a forceful spray of water to dislodge the pests,
or you can use insecticidal soaps or other appropriate
insecticides labeled for use on your plant.
     In some cases, you may have to cut your losses by banishing
the infested annual to the compost pile to avoid jeopardizing the
health of your house plants.
     Even after you bring your annuals indoors, you may want to
take an additional precaution. Quarantine your plants for a few
days and watch them carefully for signs of insects or diseases.
You can then take any necessary action at your own pace. 
     For annuals to bloom properly indoors in the winter, the
room temperature must be between 55 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit
during the day and about 55 to 60 at night. Also, flowering
annuals need a lot of light and should be located in a window
with a southern exposure--the sunniest window of your home.
Artificial light can be used to supplement natural light in other
locations with less available light.
     Other maintenance practices include regular watering to keep
the soil moist, taking care to avoid wetting the foliage. Examine 
the plants for pests weekly if possible. Pick off insects or
remove diseased leaves by hand. To encourage plants to produce
more flowers, deadhead or remove spent flowers from marigold,
snapdragons and geraniums which do not naturally fall from the
plant.
     Once the annual stops flowering, keep it alive in a cool
spot in the home or in a cold frame outdoors if the winter is
mild enough. Provide enough water to prevent the mixture from
drying out. In the spring, move the entire plant outdoors or
propagate a number of shoot cuttings for transplanting outside.
     Growing annuals indoors in the winter is worth the effort.  
However, unlike the dazzling, car-stopping performance that is
expected by annuals in the summer, you should anticipate a
subtle, simple display in the winter. Yet the fewer blooms take
on greater importance at this time of the year. 
     Each flower becomes more precious as the days become shorter
and the winter looms longer. You can also look at these flowers
as a testament of your skills as a gardener. Above all, I hope
you are reminded that you challenged Fate and won.

Annuals to Try Indoors

Ageratum houstonianum (Flossflower)
Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon)
Begonia  x semperflorens-cultorum (Waxleaf Begonia)
Browallia speciosa (Amethyst Flower)
Calendula officinalis (Pot marigold)
Catharanthus roseus (Madagascar Periwinkle)
Cuphea ignea (Firecracker Plant)
Dianthus chinensis (Pinks)
Gazania rigens (Gazania)
Impatiens walleriana (Impatiens)
I. balsamina (Balsam)
Lobelia erinus (Lobelia)
Lobularia maritima (Sweet Alyssum)
Nicotiana alata (Nicotiana)
Pelargonium x hortorum (Geranium)
Petunia x hybrida (Petunia)
Portulaca grandiflora (Portulaca)
Tagetes tenuifolia pumila (Dwarf marigold)
Thunbergia alata (Black-eyed Susan Vine)
Torenia fournieri (Wishbone flower)
Verbena x hybrida (Verbena)
Viola x wittrockiana (Pansy)
                                
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     If you have gardening questions or comments, write to
Agricultural News & Publications, Box 340311, A-101 Poole
Agricultural Center, Clemson University, Clemson, S.C. 29634-0311.
                              END