A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2003 My newest Plant

I have brought a another new plant back to Tennessee from Maryland.

This one looks kind of like a Coleus, but it has curly edges to the leaves.

It was outside in a pot and survived the hurricane.

Is my description enough?? Can you give advice on care??

Sorry to be so vague, but once again I have no plant experience.

There are curly-leafed varieties of Coleus, so that is probably what it is. Most people grow them as annuals and discard them at the end of the warm season. It is possible to keep them alive indoors through the winter. I suggest that you prune it way back and keep it on your sunniest windowsill. Lack of light is usually what contributes to their decline indoors. Water as soon as the top half inch of soil feels dry. Watch for mealybugs.

Not to sound dumb ... but what is a mealy bug??

How do I watch for them??

What do I do if I find them??

You are such a great help, Thanks!

http://www.thegardenhelper.com/mealybug.html

If you do a forum search (above), there are seventeen more references to these nasty animals.

Mealybugs look like tiny bits of cotton and are usually found in the joint where leaf stems attach to main stems. Look carefully because they tend to hide pretty well initially.

Let me know if you find any and I will tell you how to treat them safely and effectively.