Indoor Plants in Alaska
Alaska’s cool, dark winter climate calls for creativity to keep plants alive and blooming all winter. Install grow lights on a timer to provide your indoor plants in Alaska with the additional light they need to keep them from going dormant. A terrarium adds extra humidity, and increases the air temperature around the plant.
Coleus
Coleus makes an excellent houseplant, according to Ohio State University. Some of the newer varieties of coleus prefer some sun, as opposed to the older varieties that grew in full shade. Pick a variety based on the amount of light in your home.
Cut your coleus back on regularly to keep it bushy. Dip the cuttings in rooting hormone and plant them to increase the number of coleus plants you have.
- Alaska’s cool, dark winter climate calls for creativity to keep plants alive and blooming all winter.
- Install grow lights on a timer to provide your indoor plants in Alaska with the additional light they need to keep them from going dormant.
Geraniums
Geraniums grown as indoor plants in Alaska need increased light during the winter and a reduction in water to keep them happy. Geraniums do quite well in containers and make excellent houseplants, notes Clemson University.
Geraniums may drop their leaves in winter if they are not happy. As long as the stem remains firm and green, they have simply gone dormant. An increase in light can bring the geranium out of dormancy.
Watch for pests like whitefly, aphids and mealy bugs on indoor plants. Remove these pests by hand, or if the geranium is small enough, simply place it under a faucet and wash the bugs off.
- Geraniums grown as indoor plants in Alaska need increased light during the winter and a reduction in water to keep them happy.
Miniature Roses
Miniature roses bloom better as houseplants once they have survived a hard frost, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, because the frost forces them to go through a necessary dormancy period.
Miniature roses grown indoors will need extra humidity. Plant the roses in a terrarium or put small pebbles in a saucer, cover the pebbles with water and sit the potted rose on top. Regular misting also helps.
To keep your miniature roses blooming, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources suggests putting a grow light on a timer. Set the timer so the grow light is on 18 hours per day. Set the grow light so it turns off during the darkest six hours of the night.
- Miniature roses bloom better as houseplants once they have survived a hard frost, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, because the frost forces them to go through a necessary dormancy period.
- To keep your miniature roses blooming, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources suggests putting a grow light on a timer.
Keep an eye out for pests. Miniature roses grown indoors are susceptible to spider mites and aphids. Remove these pests as soon as you notice them, using the methods mentioned above.
Related Articles
References
Resources
- "Indoor Gardening the Organic Way"; Julie Bawden-Davis; 2007
- "Miniature Roses: Their Care and Cultivation"; Daniel N. Rolph; 1996
- "Bulbs in the Basement, Geraniums on the Windowsill"; Brian McGowan and Alice McGowan; 2008
- "The New Terrarium"; Tovah Martin and Kindra Clineff; 2009
- "The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual"; Barbara Pleasant; 2005
Writer Bio
Sheri Ann Richerson is a nationally acclaimed bestselling author who has been writing professionally since 1981. Her bestselling books include "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Year-Round Gardening," "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Seed Saving & Starting" and "101 Self-Sufficiency Gardening Tips." Richerson attended Ball State University and Huntington University, where she majored in communications and minored in theatrical arts.
