When Should You Bring Plants Indoors? | Gardening Advice

It’s the season when outdoor plants move inside, but exactly when should you bring plants indoors? You might have sent your houseplants to “summer camp” on your deck or patio, or perhaps you have tender tropicals that need to be overwintered indoors. But before your plants come inside, a trip to the garden center can solve preempt potential problems. Plants should come in once the nighttime temperatures start to fall below fifty every single night. By bringing them in before there is danger for frost, you allow these plants a chance to adjust to indoor conditions before your heat comes on. And a shopping list of supplies will make the process easier and keep your plants healthier.

Many people are concerned about bringing insects in along with their plants. There are a few easy precautions you can take that will prevent this from happening. First of all, pick up the pots and check the entire plant carefully. Look to see if there are slugs underneath or ants coming out of the drainage hole. Next, spray the plant with insecticidal soap, the first item for your list. Don’t be tempted to use dish washing liquid from under the kitchen sink; these are usually detergents, not soap, and many have other ingredients that can burn foliage. Spray a plant outside so that you can coat stems and both sides of leaves well, letting the excess drip off onto the ground. If you’ve been plagued with fungus gnats in the past, begin adding spinosad to the can every time you water the plants. Spinosad is an organic bacteria that kills the larvae of fungus gnats. These larvae eat plant roots, but if those roots are regularly doused with spinosad, the gnat larvae will die. Finally, when you’re picking up the insecticidal soap and spinosad at the garden center, get a package of yellow sticky cards as well. These are often called “white fly traps” and are a sunny version of flypaper. Insects are attracted to the color yellow, and because these traps are very sticky they get stuck on the cards and die. White fly traps are helpful for controlling a range of insects, and allow you to see if there’s a large population of bugs in your plants or just a random few. Before you head to the garden center for such items, check to see if you have enough plastic saucers for under the pots. One of the main reasons people don’t water their indoor plants well is that they are afraid that the water will spill over the dishes and ruin their floors or rugs. But a-lick-and-a-promise watering usually results in dried leaf tips or dead plants. This can be prevented if you use a plastic saucer that’s a few inches wider than the pot and deep enough to hold the overflow. Once you’re armed with a few helpful products you will enjoy being surrounded by indoor greenery all winter long. This post was first published in 2016 and has been updated. 

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