Every summer, my houseplants and trees get a nice long vacation on my deck, soaking up rays and looking their best. But when the cool air rolls around, it’s time to shuffle them back inside before the nights turn chilly. I’ve learned moving them isn’t just picking a spot by the window and forgetting about them. It takes some TLC to keep picky houseplants from throwing a fit.
I start eyeing the weather in early to mid-September or whenever temperatures start to dip below 50°F (10°C) at night. That’s my signal to get moving. Knowing when to bring plants inside after summer sets the stage, but there is more to keeping my greenery thriving. A few wrong moves and you’ll be stuck with droopy leaves or worse—bugs—all winter long.
Over the years of fussing with my jungle, I’ve compiled 7 must-do steps that ensure my houseplants make a smooth transition and continue to thrive all year, indoors and out. Here’s how I get my plants ready to cozy up indoors for winter.
1. Hunt for Sneaky Pests
First off, I play detective with every plant before it sets foot inside. Summertime is a bug's paradise. When growing houseplants outdoors, they can pick up a host of houseplant pests like aphids, spider mites, fungus gnats, you name it. That's why it's important to learn how to bring outdoor plants inside without bugs hitching a ride.
None of us want those critters in the house. So I check every leaf, stem, and bit of soil, especially the undersides where pests love to lurk. A little magnifying glass is my secret weapon. You can pick up a lighted magnifying glass from Amazon to make searching out pests even easier.
Here’s another trick most folks miss: tip the pot up and peek at the saucer. I often find tiny slugs hiding there, ready to hitch a ride indoors. If I spot trouble, I blast my plant with the garden hose to send bugs packing before they make a home inside my house.
2. Ease Plants Into Indoor Life
Plants hate sudden changes, so I don’t just drag them inside and call it a day. My potted trees would drop leaves like crazy if I did that. Instead, I move them to a shady corner of my patio to acclimate for a few days. Then I move them closer to the house under an awning for another few days to get them accustomed to the lower light levels indoors.
One easy trick is to place your plants near an outdoor window that mimics your indoor light, ideally outside the window of the room where they will live indoors for winter. This is like a dress rehearsal for their new spot.
I do this every year and my plants notice the move much less when I condition them first. It does take a week or so to do this process, but it saves you from a sulky plant that looks sad all winter.
Once your plants are inside, you can use an LED plant light, like this one from Amazon, to brighten up darker areas and mimic the natural light your houseplants had outdoors all summer.
3. Put Newcomers in Quarantine
Sometimes plants will bring mealybugs indoors, so everyone gets a timeout before they get to play with all the other houseplants. I stick them in a room away from my other plants for two weeks after moving outdoor plants inside. It’s essentially a houseplant quarantine to catch any pests or diseases I might have missed.
I also scatter a few Gideal sticky traps that I get from Amazon around at this time. They nab flying pests, like fungus gnats, that might show up late. If the plant is clean after two weeks, it's good to join the rest of the indoor gang.
4. Wipe Down Those Leaves
After summer outside, my plants look like they’ve been through a dust storm. Pollen and grime clog their leaves, so I grab a damp cloth and give each leaf a good wipe to clean off houseplants. It helps them breathe better and soak up the little light my windows offer. Microfiber cloths, like these from Amazon, are perfect for this task.
This is also the ideal time to check for sticky spots on plant leaves. Stickiness could be caused by sap from an insect infestation and may lead to a mold problem later. Mix a drop of dish soap into water and wipe with that to make leaves shine and keeps them free of common houseplant diseases.
5. Give Plants a Neem Oil Spritz
Once they’re clean, I hit my plants with a light neem oil spray to keep pests away. I mix a spoonful of neem oil that I get from Amazon with water and a tiny bit of soap, then mist the leaves and stems. It’s gentle, but tough on bugs.
Another helpful tip is to lightly spray the soil as well to zap any pest eggs hiding there. My plants get fungus gnat eggs sometimes and this trick stops them cold. I do this step during quarantine so the neem oil smell doesn’t take over my entire living room.
6. Trim Your Houseplants
Before plants settle in indoors, I grab a pair of shears, like these precise pruning snips from Fiskars on Amazon, and clip off anything yellow, dead, or leggy. Summer can leave my plants looking a little wild and a quick trim helps them focus on strong growth. When pruning houseplants, cut just above a leaf node to help spark new sprouts and grow bushier plants.
Also take time to check the stems for brittleness. Indoor air is dry and weak stems can snap easily. You don’t want to lose any plants by skipping this step. A little pruning now keeps houseplants sturdy and pretty all winter.
7. Check Pots & Soil
Lastly, I poke around the pots. Summer heat can pack soil tight and clog drainage holes, which can lead to root rot in houseplants. I make sure drainage is clear and repot houseplants if they're cramped.
A tip not everyone shares, but that I make sure to do, is to test the soil pH with simple test strips from Amazon. Outdoor exposure can shift pH and my citrus trees have a really hard time when the soil gets too alkaline. A sprinkle of fresh potting mix on top can provide a nutrient kick without a full repot.
