Do I need to treat them for bugs first? They look very healthy and green now.
I would treat them for pests as small pests can hide in the leaves and it just takes a few to create a population once they are inside.
If possible, you may want to consider acclimating the plants as well. This article will help with that:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/hpgen/using-pesticides-and-other-chemicals-on-your-houseplants.htm
I live in northern Idaho (new to the area) and have no idea how to care for the many ceramic pots I have acquired this year. Some are medium sized (12 inches to 15 inches across) and many are large to very large. Our back deck faces west and is on the 2nd story of the house. We have about 10 of those pots there. The other pots are on the covered front porch. I need to know how to overwinter those pots to keep them from cracking. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
The best thing to do would be to store them in a sheltered place, like a garage or a shed. If left outside, the water and temperature fluctuations will crack them.
Most people sterilize their containers before storing them by wiping them down with a weak bleach solution. This way if your plants had some kind of disease, the disease does not overwinter as well.
What can be used in the bottom of the pot for drainage when repotting plants for the winter?
Broken pots, Styrofoam peanuts and gravel all make excellent drainage mediums.
I would like advice on repotting/down sizing the plants into smaller containers to make them more managable and easier to get into the house for winter. I live in the tidewater area and the two plants have to be moved via a hand truck in and out seasonally. Rather than let them die, I want two split them up into smaller pots. Need guidance.
Typically, if you are downsizing a plant, you will be doing some root pruning. This article will help you with root pruning:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/hpgen/prune-roots.htm
Anytime you are repotting a plant, it is susceptible to transplant shock, but even more so when you are also root pruning. This article will help you with that:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/learn-how-to-avoid-and-repair-transplant-shock-in-plants.htm
If you can let me know what kind of plants they are, I can give you further help on how to handle splitting them.
When using ceramic pots w/o drainage holes, is it neccessary to place rocks on the bottom level for drainage?
Yes, or you can even use Styrofoam peanuts instead of rocks in the bottom of pots. Depending on the pot size, some people also prefer to drop another smaller plastic pot (with drainage holes) inside the ceramic one. This could also sit on top of the rocks. Anything you can do to keep the plant roots from continually sitting in water is a good idea.
What flowers have shallow enough roots so they can be planted in a bowl pot?
Try looking at sedums. They have very shallow roots and would like a bowl.
I am creating a potted garden on a balcony. Winters in Pittsburgh can get into the single digits and wind chills well below zero, especially on a high rise balcony. What should I do with my potted trees durring the winter time? Should I plan on trying to bring them inside? If not do they still need to be watered durring the winter? Do they require some sort of dormancy? Thank you!
It depends on the kind of tree you use in the container whether they will need to come in or not. If you plant something that is for your zone or higher, then it will need to be brought in for the winter. If you choose one that can survive in zones lower than your own, than it can stay out.
If you have a plant that can stay outdoors in containers, it is still a good idea to store it near a wall and cover the plant with burlap or a sheet to help protect it from drying winter winds.
If it needs to come indoors, how you store it indoors and if it needs dormancy will greatly depend on what you grow.