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Slide 16
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Many gardeners move their houseplants outside in the summer so that their houseplants can enjoy the sun and air found outdoors. But, because most houseplants are actually tropical plants, they must be brought back inside once the weather turns cold. With the start of the cooler autumn nights it is time to start the process of moving any outdoor plants inside. There are a few steps you need to take when acclimating plants from outdoors to indoors to prevent sending your plant into shock.

One of the most common issues houseplants have when coming back indoors is bringing unwanted pests with them. Check your houseplants thoroughly for small insects like aphids, mealybugs and spider mites, and remove them. These pests can be in the soil or under the foliage on the plants you bring in for the winter, and can infest all of your houseplants. You can use the hose to wash off your houseplants before bringing them in. This will help knock off any pests. You also may want to use an insecticidal soap or rose and flower spray in the soil and on the foliage for added protection.

Second, if the plant has grown over the summer, you may want to consider either pruning or repotting a houseplant. If you are pruning it back, do not prune back more than 1/3 of the plant. If you will be repotting, repot to a container that is at least 2 inches larger than the container the houseplant is currently in. Use a good organic potting soil like our Gardeners Gold. We also have beautiful pots and containers in all shapes, sizes, colors and decorating styles!

Acclimating Plants from Outdoors To Indoors
Nothing signifies the end of summer more than moving my indoor plants from their outdoor summer homes into the house for the winter. As the time to bring houseplants indoors approaches, we need to prepare them and their indoor environment for healthy winter living by lessening the stress. As you bring plants indoors, you will be changing their environment drastically in a very short time.

Once the temperatures outside reach 50 F or less at night your houseplant must begin the process to come back into the house. It is very important to acclimate your houseplant to the environment changes from outside to inside. The steps to acclimate plants indoors for winter are easy, but without these steps your plant may experience shock, wilting and leaf loss.

Prepare to mimic the light conditions the plants grew in during the summer. For example, spider plants and Christmas cactus will do better in brighter conditions than those tolerated by low-light lovers like schefflera. Choose a window with a southern exposure for plants that do well in brighter conditions or a window with a northern exposure for those that can do well at lower light levels.

The light and humidity changes from outside to inside are fairly dramatic. When acclimating your houseplant, start by bringing the houseplant in at night. For the first few days, bring the container inside in the evening and move it back outside in the morning. Gradually, over the course of 2 weeks, increase the amount of time the plant spends indoors until it is indoors full time.

Remember, plants that are indoors will probably not need as much water as plants that are outdoors, so only water when the soil is dry to the touch.

While you are bringing your outdoor plants in, why not spruce up and give your full time house plants some TLC! Pruning, Feeding, Cleaning and Re-potting are necessary for maintaining healthy and happy indoor plants. As always if you have any gardening (indoor or outdoor) questions we are here to assist you.


 



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