Time to move houseplants back inside

 

Many of us take our houseplants outside for the summer. Your plants benefit from being outside in the fresh air and natural light.

Now it's September. The nighttime temperatures are dropping into the fifties; a sign it’s time to bring our houseplants back indoors.  There are two steps to help make the move back inside more successful. 

Step One: Check for insects and disease. Being outside puts your plants at a higher risk for insect and disease problems, so the first thing to do is to look your plants over carefully. Many problems will be obvious right away; others won’t.  Sticky leaves and stems could mean mealy bug or scale. White powder on leaves could be powdery mildew. Discolored leaves could be from too much direct sunlight or watering issues. Spidery webbing could be spider mites. It’s easier to deal with these problems now before you bring your plants inside. 

If you’re not sure what the problem is, bring us a sample leaf. We'll determine the problem and recommend a solution.  

Start by simply washing your plants off with a gentle spray of water from the hose. This will get rid of a lot the insects and will help clean up the plant leaves. Let the plant dry and then spray with Neem. Neem is organic and helps control insects as well as fungus.  

Monterey Insect spray is a good choice also.

Once your plants are clean, you’re ready for Step Two; the process of preparing your plants to transition back indoors. It’s important to take your time moving the plants inside. Try to avoid bringing your plants in at the last minute, just before a frost warning.  

After a summer spent outdoors basking in the sun, houseplants can struggle to adjust to life indoors. The sudden change in light can cause leaves to yellow and drop, and plants that have spent months outside may be carrying pests that you don’t want anywhere near your indoor plant collection.

Step Two: Acclimate plants gradually. Start the transition before nighttime temperatures get too cold. Give your houseplants time to adjust from outdoor conditions to the lower light, steadier temperatures, and reduced airflow indoors. A gradual move helps reduce stress, limit leaf drop, and make the shift as easy as possible. 

Ease them into indoor conditions. Start by bringing them indoors at night and move them back outside during the day so they can gradually adjust to changing light and temperature. 

Continue the transition over the next four or five days:

• Each day, keep the plants indoors for a little longer before moving them back outside.

• After several days of gradually increasing indoor time, most plants should be ready to stay inside full time.

What to expect during the transition. As your plants adjust to lower light, reduced airflow, and steadier indoor temperatures, they may temporarily slow down their growth or drop a few leaves. This is normal and usually resolves once the plants settle into their indoor environment.

Wait to feed your plants until they’ve been inside for a couple of weeks. Then, use a houseplant fertilizer such as Shultz 10-15-10.

Another trick is to supplement your regular fertilizer program with Super Thrive every two weeks. Super Thrive will help your plant by providing additional vitamins to your plant. Doing these things now will prepare your houseplants to make the move from outside to inside with less stress and ready for the season ahead.