Bring Your Annuals in for the Winter

Enjoy your colorful annuals indoors - bring them into your home this winter, getting the annuals inside before they're hit by frosts that can kill them. In the protective environment of your living room, an annual that bloomed over and over throughout the summer will continue to do so in the house.

To grow annuals indoors, start them from plant cuttings or cut back potted plants and bring them inside. Here are more tips:

• Use plant cuttings to start such annuals as impatiens, coleus, and geraniums. Within one to two weeks, they'll develop roots in vermiculite, sharp sand, or perlite.

• Choose cuttings two to six inches long. Strip bottom leaves where the stem will be inserted into the rooting medium. Facilitate rooting by dipping the premoistened stem one inch into a rooting powder.

• Pinch off flowers or flower buds so they won't draw on the cutting's energy during the time it takes to develop roots. Maintain moisture and humidity by putting a clear plastic bag over the pot. Make sure leaves do not make contact with the plastic, as this will cause them to rot.

• Keep the rooting medium moist, not soggy. Each day check on the cuttings and immediately remove any rotting leaves from inside the bag. As the cutting develops roots, keep it in an area of the room that is bright but not in direct sunlight.

• After one or two weeks, new roots will develop. Plant in four-to-six-inch containers and protect from direct sun for up to three days. Then put potted plants in the brightest section of the room.

• Once the potted plant is established, pinch off the stem tip - this encourages growth of lateral branches that fill out the plant and cause it to flower more prolifically.

• To treat container-grown plants, trim them back to help them grow indoors. Reduce height by four to six inches. The best plants for this treatment are those with leaves on their short stems. Petunias, geraniums, impatiens, lantana, and coleus are some plants that respond well to the trimming and do well indoors.

• Before bringing in annuals, check for insect and disease problems. Check with your local garden center or nursery for the best suggestions for treatment.

• Once it's taken care of, put the plant in a bright area of a room. Windows facing south or west are good locations. Give the plant a good supply of plant food and soon you'll see new leaves develop and flowers begin to form.

• Because light is critical to encouraging a plant to bloom indoors, sun-loving annuals may not respond well to environments that have little natural winter light. Marigolds, zinnias, and other kinds of flowering plants need a good supply of sun, while less intense light suits coleus, impatiens, and some fibrous begonias.