Clean the leaves of the houseplant. (Getty Images)
Q. What is the best way to clean houseplant leaves?
It's a good idea to clean or wash your houseplants from time to time. Leaves covered in dust cannot photosynthesize effectively and excess dust can attract pests. Small plants can be rinsed under running water with cold or lukewarm water. Larger, large-leaved plants (bird of paradise, some ficus, monsteras, philodendrons) that are difficult to move can be cleaned with a clean cloth moistened with plain water. For plants with smaller, numerous, or delicate leaves, I like to use a spray bottle filled with distilled water. Tap water would be fine, but distilled water doesn't leave unsightly water stains.
I also took my plants outside and used the spray feature on my garden hose. There is a risk that you will forget to bring the plants into the house quickly. If you leave them in the sun, the leaves will burn or bleach, which is worse than dusty leaves.
Q. How can I prevent my pumpkins from rotting? I love decorating my porch with them, but they always spoil before Halloween.
I usually wait until the last week of October before putting up Halloween decorations since temperatures can still be up to 100 degrees in early October. In New York, you could put the pumpkins out in September and the sprouts would be frozen until March. The downside is that you need a reciprocating saw to carve.
When choosing pumpkins, avoid those with dents or damage as these will spoil more quickly. Pumpkins, which are heavy for their size, have thicker walls and are less likely to heat up and rot when left in the sun. Clean them with isopropyl alcohol or bleach to kill mold spores. If possible, try to find a shadier location to display. Avoid leaving them directly on a hard surface where moisture can collect underneath. By placing them on a bed of straw, you can prevent them from rotting from below by allowing some air to circulate underneath.
Wait until the day before Halloween to carve. Due to our dry climate, we found our smiling Jack O'Lantern wrinkled and toothless overnight. Storing the carved pumpkins in a cooler helped a little.
For a unique decoration, you can punch holes in your smiley pumpkin and leave it in the garden for a few days. Squirrels and mice will eat through the holes and the result will be really disturbing. This is a great project if you have teenage children.
Los Angeles County
mglosangeleshelpline@ucdavis.edu; 626-586-1988; http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu/UC_Master_Gardener_Program/
Orange County
ucceocmghotline@ucanr.edu; http://mgorange.ucanr.edu/
Riverside County
anrmgriverside@ucanr.edu;https://ucanr.edu/sites/RiversideMG/
San Bernardino County
mgsanbern@ucanr.edu; 909-387-2182; http://mgsb.ucanr.edu
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