You're not going to have to add water to moisten dry soil if you sterilize it the day before with noiling water. Sure, you may be scooping up soggy soil into your containers, but those have drains and any excess moisture will pass through the drainage slits.

T

I used to soak my plants in water for a few hours before bringing in. I never sterilize soil since the micronutrients is part of what helps plants to grow. However, I do not know if that would get rid of whitefly. If you are specifically worried about white fly, there is a product that you can sprinkle on the soil of indoor plants that works systemically. The plant takes in the product and the whiteflies don't make it.

Thanks Trudi and Evonne. I am not only concerned about whitefly. What concerns me is the cucumber beetle which was brought into my garden by the plants I grew in this soil, and some weeds which also grew there. Killing off micronutrients should not matter a great deal, since these plants (Brugmansia) will be dormant during the winter. Can you tell me the name of the product that can be sprinkled on the soil? I have already brought in my tropical Hibiscus with only a spray of soapy water, and a plastic bag 'hood' for a few days, and this was the culprit when I had the white fly infestation. We are expecting our first snow tomorrow, so I think I'll have to do the boiling water thing in my basement, so the water doesn't freeze. The plants are already safely indoors in 'holding' pots. Thanks ladies!
Northerner.

I have forgotten the name of it. One of my local greenhouses sent me to one of the other greenhouses to ask for the product. Apparently, whiteflies are very common on fuschia, and that was what I needed it for. I will ask on the New England forum, I recall someone over there knowing the name of the product, but I cannot locate the post.

Evonne, thanks so much for your interest. I bring in quite a number of tender bulbous perennials - begonias, dahlias, tube roses, etc. so it would be good to have some of it to sprinkle. I usually scrape off the top soil and replace with new potting soil, but that's not suitable for my prized tropical Hibiscus - a rare triple red - and I don't have the time this year. I will probably do some research on my own. Thanks again.
Northerner.

I had similar problem when bringing seedlings to overwinter. They develop all kind of problems and then infect rest of newly grown indoor plants. What I do now is to transplant seedlings in new pots with new soiless mix previously sterilized with boiling water and hydrogen peroxide. I am talking about small seedlings that are just started to develop and would not be able to make outside on their own.
For bigger pots, like containers with begonia I want to overwinter I treat them with Rose Bayer systemic 3 in 1 few days before getting them inside and keep those plants grouped separately.

I can still buy ammonia at Sobey's. They sell it in the floor cleaner section. Fortino's and all the usual grocery stores here in Ontario should have it.
Don't know what the strength is, but it's used to strip floors of old wax.

Thanks for your hints, Linda. This is my first experience with overwintering several 'growing' plants. I overwinter many bulbs in pots, in which case I start to withhold water just before the first hard frost. It seems the hard frost kills most things off and I keep them in the basement without water over winter and they don't infect anything. But this year I took my hibiscus outdoors,then they are two Brugs. and three hot pepper plants, which I had to bring in before the first frost, so I know there will be problems.

Wendy, thanks for the heads-up about Sobeys, I will try them tomorrow. I use ammonia for several things, including slugs, the red lily beetle, the little green caterpillers that attack Columbine, and cats that make a bathroom of my garden. I've had one bottle for several years and hardly used it, but now that I have started gardening, it's become a 'staple'. I never thought it would be so hard to find.
Northerner.

I think the Bayer Systemic is it!

Here is a link that might be useful: 2-in-1 Systemic Rose & Flower Care Granules

Is the Bayer's product available in Canada? Ummm....

Interesting. I have several Ascepias Curassavica that have been in pots outside which I plan on bringing in soon. I was going to use a product called Trounce (sp?) but have ammonia. So how do you use the Ammonia? Dilute it 1/10? Do you just spray once?

How do you keep your Dahlias in the winter. Just brought in huge clumps which I'd like to have for next year. They are clean and dry. I was just going to place them in a box with crumpled newspaper in a dark closet in the basement where we have no heat and the temps go under 10C most of the winter.

Sorry! I don't know if the product is available in Canada. Bayer does have a presence in Canada, but I don't know who regularly sells their products.

Hi ladies: haven't been on in a few days and didn't know this thread was still going.

Most of the Bayer products that are available in the U.S. are not available here. I contact Bayer in Toronto a couple years ago regarding something to kill of the Iris borer. The salesmen explained to me that they are not allowed to sell these types of products to 'individuals' - only to the lawn/garden care companies, so I won't even try to find the systemic product.

Tiffy, I use a 10% solution of amonia for everything, except cats in the garden. I will be trying it for slugs next year. I have had a lot this year, because we have lots of wood outdoors. For the red lily beetle, I spray it once or twice when I see the little buds coming up. I spray it on the shoots and the earth around and it keeps them under control. I have a stand of tall trumpet lilies that have never had them in 3 years. For bringing growing plants in I spray them at least twice with soapy water, and keep them under a plastic 'hood' for a about 2 weeks. I spray the ammonia on the soil only, maybe twice. It won't hurt the plant, but I just spray the surface.

To overwinter dahlias, if they are in pots, I cut off the tops and keep them unwatered in my basement over the winter. If I dig tubers (like sweet potatoes, cannas, dahlias) I also keep them in slightly moistened potting soil over the winter in my basement (it's unheated but does not freeze). My neighbour keeps hers in a paper bag under her basement stairs, but she loses some each year. This year, since my Cannas are so large, I will try storing them in between layers of damp newspaper in cardboard boxes. Your method should be O.K. but I find that some of them tend to dry out and die.

We had a huge snow storm last night. Lots of parts of Ontario are still without power. We had a few cuts but were O.K., lost a few branches of our large maple. Hope it melts before Haloween for the kids.
Northerner.

Someone else told me there is a saran wrap method for storing dahlia tubers. I don't know much about it though.

Evonne,
I went to the Dahlia Forum a little while ago and saw the saran wrap method being discussed. Looks like it works but I don't separate my tubers until the spring.

Northerner,
Might try burying them in vermiculite which is another method which was mentioned at the D Forum. Maybe I'll try your method as well. At my former home I used to throw them in a box with newspapers in a dark cool place and that did the trick until one year when I lost them all. I'd like to hold on to these since they are a beautiful peachy/pink/orange colour. They grew over 6 feet this year.

I heard about your storm. Our weather has been wonderful here and I hear yours will improve for Halloween. :O)

If anyone is interested in non-toxic methods of indoor whitefly control, look at the link below for several tips.

When they mention using a yellow trap, the yellow plastic bottle of Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergent works perfectly. I cut it with one of those sliding=blade box cutters.

Sue

Here is a link that might be useful: Whitefly control