Question
I have a variety of indoor/outdoor potted plants and I had to move in with my mom for a while. She didn't have room in the house for all of my plants, so I had to leave them outside for the winter. All of the foliage and stems died back, but the roots survived, because there is some budding at the bottom of the stalks just above the ground. I have clipped all of the dead growth back to within 4 to 6 inches from the ground, but they are very slow in coming back out. What can I do to give them an early spring boost to nurse them back to good health?

Matt

Answer
Hi Matt, you have done just about all you can do at this point, the rest is up to the plant; don't water it too much, because you will rot the roots, they are barely functioning now and need just adequate water to stimulate growth, fertilizing won't be a factor until they actively begin to show growth. Keep them in a dappled shady area and wait and watch. Nick