How to revive houseplants

We’ve had the sad task of clearing a relative’s house and have brought back a number of mature houseplants, including a Christmas cactus, a clivia and begonias.

- Anne Swithinbank

Q They have been well-cared for in the past, but not recently. Should I bin them, or do you think they are worth rescuing?

Margaret Critchly, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

A There is nothing more satisfying than bringing plants back to health, so I would be offering these orphaned plants a home. My last houseplant rescue was a cymbidium orchid, and after division and repotting one of the new plants has rewarded me with a flower spike. The only time I would close my door is if the plants were crawling with difficult pests like mealybug and scale insects.

I hope the plants were transported safely because even a brief period left outdoors in freezing temperatures could damage them further. Place them in quarantine initially, in case they are carrying pests that could infect existing plants in your house. Then comes the exciting task of evaluating what they are and what they need.