How To Bring in Houseplants

1. Trim and Cleanup – Remove any dead or sad-looking leaves and branches. Prune the canopy to a manageable indoor size.
2. Check for Pests – A bug or two on plants while living outdoors is no biggie. Once inside these interlopers can become a problem. Look for mealybugs, thrips, spider mites, and any other creepy crawly that doesn’t belong. Check under leaves, at the soil level, and under the pot. Picking them off by hand can manage most insect issues, but if you have a lot of bugs or a lot of plants try spraying with insecticidal soap or neem oil.
3. Water – It is so much easier to water houseplants outdoors than in. Give your plant one last huge gulp of water and let it drain out before bringing it in.
4.  Acclimate Your Plant – When you bring your plant indoors you are moving it into a new environment and this can stress your plant out. If you have the time bring your plant in and out over the course of a few weeks so it can acclimate to its new home. That being said, most of us won’t have time for this and that’s OK! Your plant may whine at you when you bring it in by looking a little peaked or dropping some leaves. It should bounce back fine after a few weeks. During this time keep as many lights on during the day in their room as possible and add humidity to the room.
5. Reduce Water and Fertilizer – Most houseplants go into a mild dormancy during the fall and winter months. They are not actively growing and usually not trying to flower at this time. Hold off on fertilizing and only water enough to keep the plants from drying out. Remember with most houseplants it’s better to underwater than to over.
6. Where to Place Plants – Each houseplant has different needs and some will thrive on that sunny windowsill while others luxuriate on that shadowy desk. Most will hate drafty windows or sitting by vents. When choosing locations it is best to look up each houseplant and learn about their ideal spot.
7. Avoid Repotting – It is best to replant houseplants when they are actively growing in the spring and summer months. Only repot if you must.