Hunters can use digital kill tags through the state’s hunting and fishing app for deer, bobcat, bear, fisher, marten and otter starting March 1.
(Ed. Note: This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. Visit the newsroom online: bridgemi.com.)
By Laura Herberg
Bridge Michigan
Starting March 1, Michigan hunters will no longer need to display paper kill tags on certain animals.
Instead, they’ll be able to validate kills using the Hunt Fish mobile app.
The change comes after the Natural Resources Commission Jan. 14 approved the optional use of electronic kill tags for deer, bobcat, bear, fisher, marten and otter.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has been piloting digital kill tags for turkey hunters since fall 2024, but otherwise hunters have needed to use a physical kill tag, which can be picked up at a license agent or received through the mail.
Having a digital tag option is expected to save the department money by reducing printing and distribution costs. It may also make things more convenient for hunters by allowing them to buy a tag online in the days leading up to a hunt and by making it easier to keep track of their tag once purchased.
According to the DNR, 27,475 hunters lost their paper licenses and had to purchase another in 2024.
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How will I be able to purchase an electronic kill tag?
Once you download the Hunt Fish app on your smartphone, you will be able to purchase a tag inside the app.
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How will the electronic kill tag actually work?
Once you make a kill, you will open your app and validate the kill by answering a few questions. If you do not have cell service or are unable to connect to WiFi, you can still fill out the information on your phone. Once you get cell service or connect to WiFi, the data will be uploaded.
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How will conservation officers know that my hunt was legal?
If a conservation officer requests to see your kill tag and you purchased it electronically, you can open the Hunt Fish app to show them the tag. If you have not had cell service or WiFi since the kill, you can still show them the validated kill tag you entered on your phone.
—————
What happens if my phone is dead?
If your phone dies, a conservation officer can run your ID to find out if you purchased a tag and what kind of tag it was. If your tag was validated and uploaded via cell service or WiFi before your phone died, the conservation officer will be able to see that.
—————
What if I’m not with the carcass?
You may not always be right there with the body of the animal you hunted to present an electronic tag. For example, you may leave it at a buck pole or have a friend drive it for you.
In instances like those, you will need to make a tag out of durable material with the hunting license number written on it in permanent ink and attach it to the carcass.
There are, however, some exceptions:
• If the head is no longer attached to the carcass, then the durable tag only needs to be with the head.
• If the animal’s remains are stored at your primary residence, you won’t need to worry about having a physical tag for it.
• If the carcass or head is accepted and recorded by a commercial processor or taxidermist, a physical tag no longer needs to be attached to it.
—————
What happens if I get my deer tested?
In Michigan, deer may be tested for diseases like bovine tuberculosis or chronic wasting disease, especially in counties where the disease is being actively surveilled.
If you take your deer head or carcass to a disease sample submission site for testing and you have an electronic tag, your phone will have the same information that you would have on a paper tag. The station can use that information to process your dropoff. The facility will then tag your deer head or any sample you drop off so that it can be properly tracked during the testing process.
—————
Won’t it be easier to game the system when seeking an official DNR seal for a bobcat, fisher, marten or otter?
If you bag a bobcat, fisher, marten or otter, you’ll need to go to a registration station so the DNR can attach an official seal to the pelt of each carcass.
If you have an electronic kill tag, you’ll need to present it in order to get an official DNR seal. If you use one electronic kill tag to present two different animals to two different stations, the DNR can detect that at the end of the season if officials run a record.
—————
What other states have electronic kill tags or something similar?
According to the DNR, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin also use apps and digital tags.
—————
Can I still use a paper kill tag?
Yes. Electronic kill tags will be optional, not mandatory. You can still purchase a physical kill tag and pick it up at a license agent or get it through the mail.
By Laura Herberg
Bridge Michigan
Starting March 1, Michigan hunters will no longer need to display paper kill tags on certain animals.
Instead, they’ll be able to validate kills using the Hunt Fish mobile app.
The change comes after the Natural Resources Commission Jan. 14 approved the optional use of electronic kill tags for deer, bobcat, bear, fisher, marten and otter.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has been piloting digital kill tags for turkey hunters since fall 2024, but otherwise hunters have needed to use a physical kill tag, which can be picked up at a license agent or received through the mail.
Having a digital tag option is expected to save the department money by reducing printing and distribution costs. It may also make things more convenient for hunters by allowing them to buy a tag online in the days leading up to a hunt and by making it easier to keep track of their tag once purchased.
According to the DNR, 27,475 hunters lost their paper licenses and had to purchase another in 2024.
—————
How will I be able to purchase an electronic kill tag?
Once you download the Hunt Fish app on your smartphone, you will be able to purchase a tag inside the app.
—————
How will the electronic kill tag actually work?
Once you make a kill, you will open your app and validate the kill by answering a few questions. If you do not have cell service or are unable to connect to WiFi, you can still fill out the information on your phone. Once you get cell service or connect to WiFi, the data will be uploaded.
—————
How will conservation officers know that my hunt was legal?
If a conservation officer requests to see your kill tag and you purchased it electronically, you can open the Hunt Fish app to show them the tag. If you have not had cell service or WiFi since the kill, you can still show them the validated kill tag you entered on your phone.
—————
What happens if my phone is dead?
If your phone dies, a conservation officer can run your ID to find out if you purchased a tag and what kind of tag it was. If your tag was validated and uploaded via cell service or WiFi before your phone died, the conservation officer will be able to see that.
—————
What if I’m not with the carcass?
You may not always be right there with the body of the animal you hunted to present an electronic tag. For example, you may leave it at a buck pole or have a friend drive it for you.
In instances like those, you will need to make a tag out of durable material with the hunting license number written on it in permanent ink and attach it to the carcass.
There are, however, some exceptions:
• If the head is no longer attached to the carcass, then the durable tag only needs to be with the head.
• If the animal’s remains are stored at your primary residence, you won’t need to worry about having a physical tag for it.
• If the carcass or head is accepted and recorded by a commercial processor or taxidermist, a physical tag no longer needs to be attached to it.
—————
What happens if I get my deer tested?
In Michigan, deer may be tested for diseases like bovine tuberculosis or chronic wasting disease, especially in counties where the disease is being actively surveilled.
If you take your deer head or carcass to a disease sample submission site for testing and you have an electronic tag, your phone will have the same information that you would have on a paper tag. The station can use that information to process your dropoff. The facility will then tag your deer head or any sample you drop off so that it can be properly tracked during the testing process.
—————
Won’t it be easier to game the system when seeking an official DNR seal for a bobcat, fisher, marten or otter?
If you bag a bobcat, fisher, marten or otter, you’ll need to go to a registration station so the DNR can attach an official seal to the pelt of each carcass.
If you have an electronic kill tag, you’ll need to present it in order to get an official DNR seal. If you use one electronic kill tag to present two different animals to two different stations, the DNR can detect that at the end of the season if officials run a record.
—————
What other states have electronic kill tags or something similar?
According to the DNR, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin also use apps and digital tags.
—————
Can I still use a paper kill tag?
Yes. Electronic kill tags will be optional, not mandatory. You can still purchase a physical kill tag and pick it up at a license agent or get it through the mail.
All You Need for Bluegill Fishing
Jack Pikaart with a double using perch pounder and a Hali jig.
Photo courtesy Jack Payne
By Jack Payne
Living two blocks from the train tracks was a natural draw for my buddy Tim and me. Our love affair with the tracks started when we were seven, maybe eight. Everything was fascinating.
Our first long adventure took us a mile north of our humble beginnings. Walking the trails, we looked down and saw a brush-lined pond. Fighting the thorns and pitchfork thistles, we made it to the water.
Fish were everywhere. Schools of big bluegill were spawning on the pea stone, ripe for the taking. How we wished we had our fishing rods. Following the pond, we found a road. The road led to Eighth Street. The pond later would become Windmill Island.
We were excited beyond belief. The very next day, we packed up sandwiches made with Goober, a peanut butter-and-jam mixture. I grabbed my old steel fishing rod with a clip-on red-and-white bobber. A can of worms and a stringer were all balanced onto my battered Firestone one-speed bike.
It's comical to think back on that adventurous day. Our bobbers were the size of a silver dollar, maybe even larger. I can't remember whether we were using the old Dacron line or the cheapest, fattest mono line available.
Our bobbers were so large that most of the fish had a time pulling them under. Instead, our bobbers would bounce up and down and dance sideways.
Back in those days, we were clueless about what constituted a good-sized gill. If it fit into our small palms, it went onto the stringer. And a daily limit of fish meant “how many fish can I fit onto a stringer?”
Riding home on our bikes was more challenging when balancing a stringer of fish. Car after car would pull alongside us and yell, “Hey, kids, where did you catch that mess of fish?” Our stringers were bouncing off the road and leaving a trail of scales.
Looking back at my logbook from the past 30 years revealed some interesting things. The same occurred when I reached out to all of my bluegill angler friends. A large box is not required.
Slip bobbers are a must. With a slip bobber, you can fish the beds, the suspended fish 20 feet down, or the surface fish creating rings on the surface.
As adults and early in our stages of bluegill fishing, we fell in love with the glow-in-the-dark teardrops. To this day, decades later, this is the only lure that some of my friends use. Year-round, glow-in-the-dark teardrops.
Then I fell in love with the foam spiders. I would fish the fly on the surface for spawning fish, then down deep on a tight-line rig. I added the Bully-style foam spider. This spider slowly sinks and is deadly to suspended fish along a weedline or over deep water during the heat of summer.
Perch Pounder-style rigs became very popular with us over the past seven years. After much use, we determined that the size 8 hook will land us triple the fish as the size 6.
You can also buy the Sabaki rigs with a size 10 hook. These rigs really work, and both have a glow-in-the-dark bead egg and use fish skin and flashabou material. Instead of using a sinker on a tight rig, use the Hali jigging spoon. It will significantly increase the number of fish that you catch.
I met Denny maybe 10 years ago, and he got me started in using mini crawler harness rigs. You can cast these mini worm harness rigs, or do like Denny and troll. Denny starts trolling once the ice moves out and continues deep into November.
The last bait we've had success with is the Charlie Brewer one-inch grub or the Stopper Lures Whip’r Snap. Both of these plastic baits work great when casting or under a slip float.
A piece of red worm the best livebait, the wax worm second. I raise and use the large composting worms.
Trust me, any of these baits or a combination will keep you plenty busy all season. And one small Plano Tote will hold all of them. Remember to visit Bob's Gun and Tackle Shop.
By Jack Payne
Living two blocks from the train tracks was a natural draw for my buddy Tim and me. Our love affair with the tracks started when we were seven, maybe eight. Everything was fascinating.
Our first long adventure took us a mile north of our humble beginnings. Walking the trails, we looked down and saw a brush-lined pond. Fighting the thorns and pitchfork thistles, we made it to the water.
Fish were everywhere. Schools of big bluegill were spawning on the pea stone, ripe for the taking. How we wished we had our fishing rods. Following the pond, we found a road. The road led to Eighth Street. The pond later would become Windmill Island.
We were excited beyond belief. The very next day, we packed up sandwiches made with Goober, a peanut butter-and-jam mixture. I grabbed my old steel fishing rod with a clip-on red-and-white bobber. A can of worms and a stringer were all balanced onto my battered Firestone one-speed bike.
It's comical to think back on that adventurous day. Our bobbers were the size of a silver dollar, maybe even larger. I can't remember whether we were using the old Dacron line or the cheapest, fattest mono line available.
Our bobbers were so large that most of the fish had a time pulling them under. Instead, our bobbers would bounce up and down and dance sideways.
Back in those days, we were clueless about what constituted a good-sized gill. If it fit into our small palms, it went onto the stringer. And a daily limit of fish meant “how many fish can I fit onto a stringer?”
Riding home on our bikes was more challenging when balancing a stringer of fish. Car after car would pull alongside us and yell, “Hey, kids, where did you catch that mess of fish?” Our stringers were bouncing off the road and leaving a trail of scales.
Looking back at my logbook from the past 30 years revealed some interesting things. The same occurred when I reached out to all of my bluegill angler friends. A large box is not required.
Slip bobbers are a must. With a slip bobber, you can fish the beds, the suspended fish 20 feet down, or the surface fish creating rings on the surface.
As adults and early in our stages of bluegill fishing, we fell in love with the glow-in-the-dark teardrops. To this day, decades later, this is the only lure that some of my friends use. Year-round, glow-in-the-dark teardrops.
Then I fell in love with the foam spiders. I would fish the fly on the surface for spawning fish, then down deep on a tight-line rig. I added the Bully-style foam spider. This spider slowly sinks and is deadly to suspended fish along a weedline or over deep water during the heat of summer.
Perch Pounder-style rigs became very popular with us over the past seven years. After much use, we determined that the size 8 hook will land us triple the fish as the size 6.
You can also buy the Sabaki rigs with a size 10 hook. These rigs really work, and both have a glow-in-the-dark bead egg and use fish skin and flashabou material. Instead of using a sinker on a tight rig, use the Hali jigging spoon. It will significantly increase the number of fish that you catch.
I met Denny maybe 10 years ago, and he got me started in using mini crawler harness rigs. You can cast these mini worm harness rigs, or do like Denny and troll. Denny starts trolling once the ice moves out and continues deep into November.
The last bait we've had success with is the Charlie Brewer one-inch grub or the Stopper Lures Whip’r Snap. Both of these plastic baits work great when casting or under a slip float.
A piece of red worm the best livebait, the wax worm second. I raise and use the large composting worms.
Trust me, any of these baits or a combination will keep you plenty busy all season. And one small Plano Tote will hold all of them. Remember to visit Bob's Gun and Tackle Shop.
Outdoor Truths: Unwanted Exposure
By Gary Miller
I’ve really enjoyed the unseasonably warm January weather. I wouldn’t mind if the whole winter felt like this. It has allowed me to do a bunch of stuff outside in comfort.
One of things I’m getting ready to do is head back into the deer woods. I want to spend a few hours perusing the land to learn what I can about the previous season. I want to see where the bucks spent most of their time, where the most scrapes were, and of course how I can apply that to the next deer season.
As I have mentioned many times before, one can learn so much when the leaves are off the trees and the season is over. There is no pressure. There’s no time limit. There’s no one thing that takes priority. There are just opportunities to learn and grow.
And there’s no better time to do a full investigation than when the woods are stripped down to their bare frame.
Everything is exposed. Everything is open. And while everything seems dead, the ground is just preparing for another season of life. This sounds too much like you and me – and life.
As I write this, I think about many of you who would describe your present season as one of a bare frame. No leaves of life. No fruit of flourishing. Because of some circumstance or situation, you feel exposed to the world. You feel open for all to see the crooked limbs that stress shaped and trauma twisted.
So, what do we do when this unwanted season of exposure comes our way? We find the signs of God. They will be there just as they have always been. But now we will be able to see them more clearly. And when we do that, we can return to our spring sooner.
God does not always remove the leaves to correct us, but to help us see where He wants us to be more quickly, so that we can get back to the thriving life He has for all of us.
—————
Gary Miller has written Outdoor Truths articles for 23 years. He has also written five books which include compilations of his articles and a father/son devotional. He also speaks at wild-game dinners and men’s events for churches and associations. Write to him at gary@outdoortruths.org.
I’ve really enjoyed the unseasonably warm January weather. I wouldn’t mind if the whole winter felt like this. It has allowed me to do a bunch of stuff outside in comfort.
One of things I’m getting ready to do is head back into the deer woods. I want to spend a few hours perusing the land to learn what I can about the previous season. I want to see where the bucks spent most of their time, where the most scrapes were, and of course how I can apply that to the next deer season.
As I have mentioned many times before, one can learn so much when the leaves are off the trees and the season is over. There is no pressure. There’s no time limit. There’s no one thing that takes priority. There are just opportunities to learn and grow.
And there’s no better time to do a full investigation than when the woods are stripped down to their bare frame.
Everything is exposed. Everything is open. And while everything seems dead, the ground is just preparing for another season of life. This sounds too much like you and me – and life.
As I write this, I think about many of you who would describe your present season as one of a bare frame. No leaves of life. No fruit of flourishing. Because of some circumstance or situation, you feel exposed to the world. You feel open for all to see the crooked limbs that stress shaped and trauma twisted.
So, what do we do when this unwanted season of exposure comes our way? We find the signs of God. They will be there just as they have always been. But now we will be able to see them more clearly. And when we do that, we can return to our spring sooner.
God does not always remove the leaves to correct us, but to help us see where He wants us to be more quickly, so that we can get back to the thriving life He has for all of us.
—————
Gary Miller has written Outdoor Truths articles for 23 years. He has also written five books which include compilations of his articles and a father/son devotional. He also speaks at wild-game dinners and men’s events for churches and associations. Write to him at gary@outdoortruths.org.
State Seeks Comments on Proposed Firewood Quarantine
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is inviting Michigan stakeholders to provide comments on a proposed firewood quarantine.
The proposed quarantine would restrict the movement of firewood originating outside the state of Michigan to help prevent the introduction and spread of over 140 plant pests and diseases that can hitch a ride on untreated firewood. These plant pests and diseases include Asian longhorned beetle, oak wilt, beech bark disease and spotted lanternfly, which are pests that pose a serious threat to Michigan’s forests, agriculture and tourism industries.
A draft copy of the proposed quarantine can be found online at bit.ly/4q6UQSJ. Stakeholders can provide comments through a survey that can be completed online. All comments must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST Monday, Feb. 9.
—————
Why is MDARD proposing a quarantine?
The movement of untreated firewood is one of the leading causes of new infestations of invasive forest pests. Unlike nursery stock and other high-risk commodities, firewood is not routinely inspected, making it a significant pathway for pest introduction. Once established, these pests are difficult and costly to eradicate. Moreover, they can cause significant long-term economic and environmental damage.
Michigan’s forests and natural resources are vital to the state’s economy and quality of life. MDARD’s proposed firewood quarantine aims to reduce the risk of pest introduction by:
• Restricting the movement into Michigan of firewood from other states,
• Requiring treatment and certification for firewood entering the state, and
• Establishing clear compliance and enforcement measures.
Firewood entering the United States from other countries is already regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Imported wood of any kind must meet strict treatment standards, typically heat treatment to eliminate pests, and be accompanied by proper certification at the federal level.
Similarly, interstate movement of firewood is subject to a patchwork of state and federal regulations, especially in areas with active quarantines for pests like the spotted lanternfly or spongy moth. However, there is no single federal quarantine that covers all firewood movement across the United States, which is why Michigan is taking action to address gaps and protect local resources from new pest introductions.
—————
What the quarantine would do
The proposed exterior firewood quarantine would regulate the movement of firewood into Michigan to prevent the introduction of over 140 plant pests and diseases. Here's what it includes:
Regulated Articles: All firewood from outside Michigan, regardless of species or origin.
Exemptions:
• Kiln-dried dimensional lumber.
• Wood chips no larger than 1 inch in any two dimensions.
• Logs or wood destined for immediate processing at sawmills, veneer mills, pulp/paper mills, pellet manufacturers, power plants, and composite wood facilities.
• Wood already processed into the above products before entering Michigan.
Treatment Requirements: Firewood entering Michigan must be:
• Heat-treated to a core temperature of 60°C (140°F) for 60 minutes, or
• Treated using other methods approved by MDARD in the quarantine order (e.g., steam, microwave, dielectric heat).
Certification Requirements: All treated firewood must be accompanied by a certificate verifying treatment and origin from a state or federal official authorized to verify the treatment and origin of the firewood.
Recordkeeping: Anyone receiving firewood from out-of-state must keep shipping and treatment records for 36 months.
What’s not included: This quarantine does not apply to fuelwood, which is:
• Locally sourced.
• Downed wood.
• Used for personal home use.
• Not intended for resale.
For more on fuelwood, visit the Michigan DNR Fuelwood Page at michigan.gov/dnr/managing-resources/forestry/fuelwood.
—————
Public comment invitation
Please use the online survey to provide comments on the proposed quarantine by 11:59 p.m. EST Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. Your input is important and will help ensure that any regulatory changes are well-informed and fit for purpose. After the public comment period, MDARD will review all feedback and decide if any changes need to be made to the proposed quarantine.
For more information about firewood movement and invasive species in Michigan, visit the Don’t Move Firewood page at dontmovefirewood.org or Michigan’s invasive species page at michigan.gov/invasives, respectively.
Michigan's Invasive Species Program is cooperatively implemented by the Michigan departments of Agriculture and Rural Development; Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; and Natural Resources.
The proposed quarantine would restrict the movement of firewood originating outside the state of Michigan to help prevent the introduction and spread of over 140 plant pests and diseases that can hitch a ride on untreated firewood. These plant pests and diseases include Asian longhorned beetle, oak wilt, beech bark disease and spotted lanternfly, which are pests that pose a serious threat to Michigan’s forests, agriculture and tourism industries.
A draft copy of the proposed quarantine can be found online at bit.ly/4q6UQSJ. Stakeholders can provide comments through a survey that can be completed online. All comments must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST Monday, Feb. 9.
—————
Why is MDARD proposing a quarantine?
The movement of untreated firewood is one of the leading causes of new infestations of invasive forest pests. Unlike nursery stock and other high-risk commodities, firewood is not routinely inspected, making it a significant pathway for pest introduction. Once established, these pests are difficult and costly to eradicate. Moreover, they can cause significant long-term economic and environmental damage.
Michigan’s forests and natural resources are vital to the state’s economy and quality of life. MDARD’s proposed firewood quarantine aims to reduce the risk of pest introduction by:
• Restricting the movement into Michigan of firewood from other states,
• Requiring treatment and certification for firewood entering the state, and
• Establishing clear compliance and enforcement measures.
Firewood entering the United States from other countries is already regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Imported wood of any kind must meet strict treatment standards, typically heat treatment to eliminate pests, and be accompanied by proper certification at the federal level.
Similarly, interstate movement of firewood is subject to a patchwork of state and federal regulations, especially in areas with active quarantines for pests like the spotted lanternfly or spongy moth. However, there is no single federal quarantine that covers all firewood movement across the United States, which is why Michigan is taking action to address gaps and protect local resources from new pest introductions.
—————
What the quarantine would do
The proposed exterior firewood quarantine would regulate the movement of firewood into Michigan to prevent the introduction of over 140 plant pests and diseases. Here's what it includes:
Regulated Articles: All firewood from outside Michigan, regardless of species or origin.
Exemptions:
• Kiln-dried dimensional lumber.
• Wood chips no larger than 1 inch in any two dimensions.
• Logs or wood destined for immediate processing at sawmills, veneer mills, pulp/paper mills, pellet manufacturers, power plants, and composite wood facilities.
• Wood already processed into the above products before entering Michigan.
Treatment Requirements: Firewood entering Michigan must be:
• Heat-treated to a core temperature of 60°C (140°F) for 60 minutes, or
• Treated using other methods approved by MDARD in the quarantine order (e.g., steam, microwave, dielectric heat).
Certification Requirements: All treated firewood must be accompanied by a certificate verifying treatment and origin from a state or federal official authorized to verify the treatment and origin of the firewood.
Recordkeeping: Anyone receiving firewood from out-of-state must keep shipping and treatment records for 36 months.
What’s not included: This quarantine does not apply to fuelwood, which is:
• Locally sourced.
• Downed wood.
• Used for personal home use.
• Not intended for resale.
For more on fuelwood, visit the Michigan DNR Fuelwood Page at michigan.gov/dnr/managing-resources/forestry/fuelwood.
—————
Public comment invitation
Please use the online survey to provide comments on the proposed quarantine by 11:59 p.m. EST Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. Your input is important and will help ensure that any regulatory changes are well-informed and fit for purpose. After the public comment period, MDARD will review all feedback and decide if any changes need to be made to the proposed quarantine.
For more information about firewood movement and invasive species in Michigan, visit the Don’t Move Firewood page at dontmovefirewood.org or Michigan’s invasive species page at michigan.gov/invasives, respectively.
Michigan's Invasive Species Program is cooperatively implemented by the Michigan departments of Agriculture and Rural Development; Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; and Natural Resources.
Easy-Care Flowering Indoor Plants Provide Color All Year
Bromeliads are long bloomers with unique tropical flowers.
Photo credit MelindaMyers.com
By Melinda Myers
Brighten your home’s décor and elevate your mood by adding a few flowering plants to your indoor garden. You may be surprised to find a wide array of flowering plants that will bloom when they are grown indoors. Match the plant to the growing conditions and your maintenance style for ease of care and greatest success.
Add a long-blooming moth orchid (Phalaenopsis) to your collection. It thrives in most home environments, making it the easiest of all the orchids to grow. Position your orchid in a brightly lit location that’s free of hot or cold drafts. Water thoroughly with tepid water once a week. Leave the flower stalk intact and wait for a second smaller flush of flowers. Or prune it back to an inch above the foliage, provide proper care and watch for a fresh set of flowers in about a year. Or gift the non-flowering plant to a gardening friend. There’s always one who’s willing to wait for the next set of flowers. In the meantime, you can invest in a new variety for your home.
Treat yourself to an easy-care anthurium. You can now find white, red, pink, lavender and even yellow anthuriums for sale almost year-round. The colorful heart-shaped “flowers” are modified leaves that hold their color for many weeks. Grow this low maintenance, very forgiving plant in bright, indirect light and water thoroughly whenever the soil begins to dry.
Include bromeliads, another long bloomer with unique tropical flowers. Those with pliable leaves are more tolerant of lower light, while the stiff-leafed bromeliads need bright light to thrive. Water the soil often enough to prevent the roots from drying. After weeks and even months of flowering, the plant eventually dies but forms offsets, known as pups, you can grow to maturity.
The tubular, red-burgundy flowers of lipstick plant (Aeschynanthus radicans) reveal the inspiration for its common name. Grow this long-blooming, trailing plant in a warm location with bright, indirect light. Water thoroughly when the top inch of soil begins to dry. Move it to a slightly cooler location and allow the soil to dry a bit more between waterings during the winter.
Have fun by adding a hanging basket of goldfish (Nematanthus) to your collection. This easy-care plant produces long-lasting, orange-red flowers that resemble goldfish. Place it in bright, indirect light and water when the soil begins to dry.
Keep these and your other houseplants healthy and minimize pest problems by providing proper growing conditions and care. Fertilize actively growing plants with a flowering houseplant fertilizer according to label directions. Boost the humidity by grouping plants together. As one plant loses moisture, transpires, its neighbors’ benefit. Place pebbles in the saucer or tray to elevate the pot above any water that collects there. As the water evaporates, it increases the humidity around the plant and eliminates the need for you to empty excess water out of the saucer.
Check all your plants for insects each time you water. It is easier to manage small populations than larger infestations. Use yellow sticky traps to monitor and trap white flies, fungus gnat adults, thrips and other houseplant pests. Manage fungus gnat larvae residing in the soil with organic Summitâ Mosquito Bits. It contains a naturally occurring soil bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), that’s safe for people, plants, and pets. Just follow the label directions for the most effective control.
Look for opportunities to include these and other flowering plants in your home. You’ll enjoy the added color and beauty these plants provide.
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Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” streaming courses and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Summit for her expertise to write this article. Myers’ website is www.MelindaMyers.com.
Brighten your home’s décor and elevate your mood by adding a few flowering plants to your indoor garden. You may be surprised to find a wide array of flowering plants that will bloom when they are grown indoors. Match the plant to the growing conditions and your maintenance style for ease of care and greatest success.
Add a long-blooming moth orchid (Phalaenopsis) to your collection. It thrives in most home environments, making it the easiest of all the orchids to grow. Position your orchid in a brightly lit location that’s free of hot or cold drafts. Water thoroughly with tepid water once a week. Leave the flower stalk intact and wait for a second smaller flush of flowers. Or prune it back to an inch above the foliage, provide proper care and watch for a fresh set of flowers in about a year. Or gift the non-flowering plant to a gardening friend. There’s always one who’s willing to wait for the next set of flowers. In the meantime, you can invest in a new variety for your home.
Treat yourself to an easy-care anthurium. You can now find white, red, pink, lavender and even yellow anthuriums for sale almost year-round. The colorful heart-shaped “flowers” are modified leaves that hold their color for many weeks. Grow this low maintenance, very forgiving plant in bright, indirect light and water thoroughly whenever the soil begins to dry.
Include bromeliads, another long bloomer with unique tropical flowers. Those with pliable leaves are more tolerant of lower light, while the stiff-leafed bromeliads need bright light to thrive. Water the soil often enough to prevent the roots from drying. After weeks and even months of flowering, the plant eventually dies but forms offsets, known as pups, you can grow to maturity.
The tubular, red-burgundy flowers of lipstick plant (Aeschynanthus radicans) reveal the inspiration for its common name. Grow this long-blooming, trailing plant in a warm location with bright, indirect light. Water thoroughly when the top inch of soil begins to dry. Move it to a slightly cooler location and allow the soil to dry a bit more between waterings during the winter.
Have fun by adding a hanging basket of goldfish (Nematanthus) to your collection. This easy-care plant produces long-lasting, orange-red flowers that resemble goldfish. Place it in bright, indirect light and water when the soil begins to dry.
Keep these and your other houseplants healthy and minimize pest problems by providing proper growing conditions and care. Fertilize actively growing plants with a flowering houseplant fertilizer according to label directions. Boost the humidity by grouping plants together. As one plant loses moisture, transpires, its neighbors’ benefit. Place pebbles in the saucer or tray to elevate the pot above any water that collects there. As the water evaporates, it increases the humidity around the plant and eliminates the need for you to empty excess water out of the saucer.
Check all your plants for insects each time you water. It is easier to manage small populations than larger infestations. Use yellow sticky traps to monitor and trap white flies, fungus gnat adults, thrips and other houseplant pests. Manage fungus gnat larvae residing in the soil with organic Summitâ Mosquito Bits. It contains a naturally occurring soil bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), that’s safe for people, plants, and pets. Just follow the label directions for the most effective control.
Look for opportunities to include these and other flowering plants in your home. You’ll enjoy the added color and beauty these plants provide.
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Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” streaming courses and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Summit for her expertise to write this article. Myers’ website is www.MelindaMyers.com.
