Bringing Your Houseplants Inside.

As the nights begin to cool down and daylight gets shorter, it’s time to start thinking about bringing in your houseplants that have spent the summer months outdoors, if you haven’t already. Once nighttime temps are consistently in the low 50’s it is time to bring your houseplants back in. Here’s a few helpful tips to ensure your houseplants are happy & thriving as we head into the seasons ahead.

Check for Pests: plants grown outdoors can be more susceptible to pests like aphids, thrips, mites, etc. It is always a good idea to inspect your plants for pests before bringing them indoors. If needed, use a treatment such as Neem Oil or Insecticidal Soap which works on most pests, but is always wise to identify your pest before treating to make sure you can successfully solve the issue.

Put Plants in Proper Areas: Light levels indoors are very different than the natural light plants can receive outside. Make sure when placing your plants in their new homes they are receiving adequate light levels for their best growing potential.

Less Light Means Less Water: When keeping plants indoors and as the seasons change light levels are not as strong. This means plants don’t dry out quite as quickly, so you shouldn’t have to water quite as often as you would during the hot, summer months. Always check your houseplants for their watering needs and remember, no two plants are the same. It is better to water as needed than on a specific schedule.

Repotting and Fertilizing: If your plant is actively growing and continuing to flower or put out new growth, you should continue to fertilize. As we head into fall and winter houseplants don’t generally grow as much and therefore don’t need to be fertilized as frequently. Aim for once a month – this will help keep plants happy and healthy. Only repot if your plant is crowded and in need of a larger pot, otherwise hold off until the following spring.

Stress Can Happen: It can be stressful at times for plants when their surroundings change. Bringing a plant inside after its spent the last four months outdoors can have some side effects. Some of the more common signs of stress include yellowing or brown leaves, as well as leaf drop or flower loss. Continue to properly care for your plants and the issue should resolve fairly quickly.