This week is full of weather changes. We’ve had rain, heat, and now finally cool weather. It’s probably about time to pull in your outside plants. That’s not a fun project. Leaves falling off, watering, and bugs to deal with. One of the most loved plants in the south is the Boston Fern. Almost every house and yard around the south has at least 2 Boston Ferns hanging around the porch or patio. Replacing the ferns every year could get to be pricey.

A few things that you can do to care for them is to bring inside. First inspect the basket for pest. Look for spider mites and aphids. Trim the foliage back and spray with a spinosad product, such as Fertilome Spinosad soap. This come as a concentrate or a ready to use bottle. Spinsosad is an organic product if you like to use those. After drying, you can bring inside and water every week or so.

Geraniums are also a plant that be wintered inside. Trim really well, spray with spinosad, let dry and bring in. Some people pull out of the pot and store bare root.

Wintering your plants is a little work to do, but it usually worth the trouble. It saves you money the next spring, but you also get a head start in the spring.

(Mitzi Thomas owns Minden Farm & Garden LLC. Watch for her column on Fridays in Webster Parish Journal. Email Mitzi questions at  mitzithomas40@yahoo.com.)