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[INDOOR-GARDENING:338] Re: What have I done?

Christa Wrote
>I did something terrible - I remember reading that putting your indoor
>plants out in the rain is good for them, to give their leaves a nice,
>natural rinsing...

Hi Christa,
Poor Scheffy!!  I would think that if you didn't have a frost, then it was
more than likely the wind took the leaves.  If the plant had been frosted,
it would be turning mushy - when water in (non-hardy) plant cells freezes,
it expands and breaks down the cell walls, hence the brown sludge that
results, so if the stems are still hard, Scheffy should be OK.
You can cut him back fairly hard and come spring he'll grow again for you -
we used to cut Scheffys back really hard when we used them in hotels or
shopping malls and they responded by growing twice as eagerly.  But don't
forget to feed him in the spring to help him over the shock and be careful
with the watering over the winter, he doesn't have so many leaves to breathe
through now and he could drown if you're not careful.  If possible, stand
him on a few pebbles to keep the air round him moist but the roots dry and
only water when the soil is dry.
Then stand back, cross your fingers and hope to prove your boyfriend wrong!
Liz Bradbury in Scotland.
(See us all at: http://www.full-house.demon.co.uk/
Write to:  liz@full-house.demon.co.uk  )
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