It’s time to think about moving your vacationing houseplants back indoors. If you moved your houseplants outside for the summer, they’ve probably been growing like gang busters. Rather than just moving them back inside, you’d be wise to check that they haven’t out grown their pots. Gently lift them out of their pots, to see if the roots have room left to grow. If not, repot. If they look good, freshen the soil.
Houseplants should be brought back indoors in early fall, while the outdoor and indoor temperatures are about the same. Hopefully, the windows are open. This will ease their transition from the humid outdoors to the soon to be dry, heated indoors.
Don’t forget to check for hitchhikers, before you move them in. I generally spray my plants with insecticidal soap, just in case. While you’re inspecting your plants, take Jon VanZile’s poll on What bugs your houseplants? Jon is About.com’s Guide to houseplants and he grows a lot more plants indoors than my shaded house will allow me. Usually I’m jealous, but this week he’s been writing about mealy bugs, scale and smelly potting soil. I guess every form of gardening has it’s challenges.
Photo: © Marie Iannotti
Comments
Time for you to get a clue! You direct your website toward those who live in the North or Midwest with harsh winters.
Those of us who live in zone 6 and below would have no thoughts of bringing our plants inside yet.
Gee, Janet. You make a valid point, but you could have been a bit more diplomatic.
I tend to post things a bit ahead of time, because not everyone reads the day the blog is posted and even fewer run outside and do whatever I’m talking about.
I live in Zone 6 and I am preparing my houseplants for the trek back indoors. As I mentioned, I don’t like to wait until the weather changes dramatically. I like to give them time to acclimate.
Not terribly friendly, Janice. The clue, for you, I believe would be something akin to, “People respond better to pleasant people.”
Meanwhile, I was wondering, Marie, if you wouldn’t mind addressing my very ignorant little rant that I posted today after having dealt with an absurd little man at a nursery. It asks the question Why does your houseplant hate the outdoors?
Thomas, great rant. How funny to think that someone firmly believes that certain plants can’t handle being outdoors. I pity the poor plant that has to live its entire life on my TV cabinet.