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Overwintering
A Tender Herb
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What
you need:
- Shovel
- Hand pruners
- Pot and saucer
- Potting soil
When you hear a severe frost warning
on the news, is it time to say
good-bye to your lemon grass,
lemon verbena, basil, or other
tender herb? Not if you overwinter
them in pots indoors. Start by
cutting back the foliage as necessary
to fit on a windowsill. Check
closely for insects. No matter
how much you want to keep the
plant, you don't want to introduce
pests into your house. |
| Next,
carefully dig up the plant and
shake off the excess soil. If
the roots are too extensive to
fit into the pot you've selected,
prune them as needed. Your plant
may now look like a shadow of
its former self, but it should
recover quickly. |
| Moisten
the potting mix and put a layer
in the bottom of the pot. Set
the plant in the pot and fill
in with more potting mix. You
want the crown, the point where
roots and stems meet, to be level
with the surface of the mix. Water
thoroughly. |
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Place in a
sunny window and treat as a
houseplant. It may produce long,
lanky growth, but it will survive
the dark days of winter. After
the danger of frost passes,
prune the plant hard and set
it outdoors, acclimating it
slowly to wind and sun. In about
a week, replant it in the garden.
In a month or so, it will be
its beautiful self again.
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