Blundering Gardener: Whiteflies got the best of me until website remedy came to rescue

As we wait and wait for summer to come, our thoughts turn to the only garden greenery available for our restless pruners to play with: houseplants.

This is an excellent time to focus on houseplants. Those that move outdoors in spring need to be in tiptop shape to make a successful transition.

Plants don't like change. Although dry indoor air isn't ideal, at least your plants are used to it. They are not used to wind, rain and wildly fluctuating temperatures.

As to pests, the whiteflies, spider mites and scale that thrive in your living room won't last long in the company of outdoor predators. But your plants will encounter new nemeses, and healthier plants have better luck fending off foes.

WHITEFLIES WAR

First, check plants thoroughly for signs of pests. I've learned the hard way that infestations I've been able to control but not eliminate tend to worsen as winter drags on. Plants starved for sunlight also lose their fighting spirit.

Whiteflies love my houseplants. Last year, spring came just in time to rescue a 2-year-old tropical honeybush (Melanthus major) whose gorgeous toothy leaves are irresistible to the winged dust specks.

I'm not sure if the bugs were dormant in the soil or if they vanished during summer when the plant lived outside in full sun. Whatever, by mid-March they'd defeated their host plant.

I admit I was their willing accomplice. Reluctant to spend $10 on insecticidal soaps that hadn't worked last year, I sprayed the leaves with plain water, drenching the undersides where the larvae live. The whiteflies multiplied.

Next, I pruned the plant, cutting off most of its stems and leaving only fresh leaf growth. This way, I could focus on just a few leaves and keep them squeaky clean. That didn't work, either.

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Blundering Gardener: Whiteflies got the best of me until website remedy came to rescue