How To Care For Indoor Plants Before Bringing Them Inside?

Houseplants receive brighter, more direct sunlight outdoors than they do inside most homes. Acclimate your plants slowly, beginning two weeks before bringing them indoors. Make adjustments to your home to accommodate the winter houseplants indoors, such as preparing your house and removing pests. Start moving your plants inside during late summer or early fall, before nighttime temperatures consistently drop below 60°F (15.5°C). Exposing tender houseplants to temperatures below 50°F (10°C) can cause damage.

To help your plants adjust to the lower-light indoor environment, you need to help them avoid bringing pests, diseases, dead growth, or unwanted dirt in with them. Debugging houseplants is essential for protecting the spread of pests to any plants that have grown outside during warmer months. To prepare and acclimate your houseplants for the transition indoors, follow this step-by-step guide.

To debug plants before bringing them inside, use an insecticide product made specifically for this purpose, such as Bonide Insecticidal Soap Ready to Use or Bonide Insecticidal Soap Ready to Use. There are several effective methods for debugging plants to bring indoors, including using soapy water to soak the entire plant, spraying them with dawn soap, alcohol, and neem oil, and bathing or soaking plants in a bucket of water with mild dishwashing soap.

Inspect your houseplants regularly, spray insecticidal soap like Pyrethrum, wipe leaves with an alcohol solution, and vacuum. Isolate the plant for at least two weeks and keep an eye on it to see if any insects pop up. Use clean pots and potting soil, remove dead or unsightly leaves, and clean up any old flowers laying on the soil.

In conclusion, preparing and acclimating houseplants for the winter is crucial for their health and growth. By following these steps, you can ensure your plants thrive in an indoor environment and prevent pests from entering your home.

What do I spray on plants before bringing indoors?

Experts suggest bathing or soaking plants in water with mild dishwashing soap before bringing them indoors. If plants are too big, spray them with water to remove outdoor dust and insects. Wash the leaves with water and dishwashing soap, then rinse. The soapy water also kills pests in the soil. Check plants for infestations and treat them with insecticidal soap if needed. Wash the outside of pots to remove dirt and unwanted pests.

If needed, prune, separate, or repot plants if needed. Gradually reintroduce plants to indoors, as they may undergo shock if brought from outdoor conditions to indoors, resulting in yellow leaves, wilt, dieback, or even death.

Do plants like to be touched?

Fresh indoor plants require careful care and attention, but most plants do not like being touched. This preference depends on the plant, with some plants not minding being touched near as much as others. It is important to understand what plants do and don’t like being touched before choosing a house plant.

Plants don’t die when touched, but it is not advisable. They have sensitive leaves that need to sense sunlight, movement in the air, and weather, and human touch is generally harsh for these leaves. Therefore, it is essential to be cautious when handling plants to ensure their safety and well-being.

How to treat plants when you bring them inside?

To bring plants indoors, follow these steps: trim and clean up, check for pests, repot if necessary, refresh soil, rinse and water, consider the plant’s needs, gradually acclimate to its new environment, and keep the plant out of reach of animals and children. Instead of losing your plants to winter weather, bring them indoors to enjoy them during the cold season and take them back out when it warms up again.

Dennis Schrader, owner of Landcraft Environments in Long Island, New York, is asked about which plants can be brought inside, whether they will survive winter on windowsills, and if there are ways to save plants for next year.

Is repotting traumatic for plants?

Plants need to be repotted as they grow out of their containers, and incorrect transplants can cause repot plant stress, which can lead to dropped or yellowing leaves, failure to thrive, or plant wilting. Treatment during the transplant process can cause transplant shock, which can result in wilted leaves and other symptoms. The worst culprits are repotting at the wrong time, especially before blooming, and using different potting soil than the plant’s previous environment.

Other causes include placing the transplanted plant under different lighting conditions, leaving the roots exposed to air for extended periods, and using different potting soil than the plant’s previous environment. It takes time and care for a plant to heal from repotting stress.

How do you acclimate plants from outside to inside?

Plants should be moved from outdoor conditions to indoors gradually, acclimating them by placing them in a shaded area for a few days. They may drop some leaves soon after being brought indoors, as they are getting used to their new environment. Find a suitable indoor location with the right lighting conditions for each plant, such as bright, indirect light or artificial grow lights if natural light is limited. Maintain a consistent indoor temperature between 60-75°F (15-24°C) during the day and slightly cooler at night.

Avoid placing plants too close to radiators, vents, heat sources, drafty doors, and windows. Ensure good air circulation around plants to prevent stagnant air and mold growth. Open windows periodically on mild days to refresh the air.

Do plants like being sprayed with water?

While spritzing can provide moisture to plants, it can also harm them unless they thrive in humidity. Alternatively, plants require a comprehensive irrigation, whereby the water is permitted to flow through and out of their root ball. It is recommended that the top of the plant be avoided as a point of watering, and that the root ball be directly irrigated in order to achieve optimal health and hydration. In the case of outdoor plant cultivation, the use of a drip irrigation system is advised in order to achieve the most favourable outcomes.

What should I mist my houseplants with?

Misting houseplants with filtered or distilled water is a beneficial practice for both regular and occasional watering. Tropical plants thrive in humid environments, and plants that receive air nutrients can also benefit from occasional misting. Gardening experts like Trey Plunkett and Justin Hancock explain which houseplants should be misted and when to do so. Misting houseplants can improve humidity, which is beneficial for tropical varieties that thrive in humid environments.

However, the effects can be short-lived, so if your houseplants prefer humidity, it’s best to use misting alongside other humidity-boosting techniques. The benefits of misting houseplants are significant, and it’s essential to follow the specific instructions provided by the experts.

How do you disinfect house plants?

Rain is a natural cleaning method for tropical houseplants, and a gentle spray of water is the best way to clean them. Smaller plants like pothos or pilea can be placed in a sink, while larger plants can be placed in the shower. Rinse them off with lukewarm water, keeping the water pressure low and not using hot or cold water. During warmer months, move them outdoors and gently spray them with a hose.

For delicate plants like ferns, submerge them in tepid water and support the plant and soil. For larger plants with smooth leaves, dust them with a soft, damp cloth, supporting each leaf from underneath to avoid damaging them.

What is the best thing to spray houseplants?

Horticultural oils, derived from petroleum distillates and mineral oils, are effective insecticides for controlling houseplant pests like scales, young whiteflies, and spider mites. These highly refined oils act by smothering insects. Neem seed extracts, derived from the tree’s seed, contain materials that disrupt insect growth and are used to control whiteflies and other insects. Neem seed also contains oils similar to other horticultural oils.

Pyrethrins and pyrethroid insecticides, derived from the flowers of a certain daisy, are a common ingredient in many houseplant and garden insecticides due to their fast-acting nature, short persistence, and low toxicity.

How to treat houseplants?

This article provides nine essential tips for keeping houseplants healthy. It emphasizes the importance of watering, fertilizing, propagating, repotting, removing dust, pruning, deadheading flowers, removing dying leaves, and controlling insect pests. Houseplants don’t need constant attention to stay healthy, but some easy-care plants only need a few maintenance a few times each year. Watering is crucial for all plants, as it depends on their growth and seasonal changes.

Cacti and succulents need less water, while flowering plants need slightly more. Overwatering is a common cause of houseplant death, so it’s best to err on the dry side to avoid giving plants too much moisture. When watering, avoid splashing onto leaves and stems, which can encourage diseases and leaf spotting.

In summary, these tips help maintain the health of houseplants by following specific guidelines and avoiding overwatering. By following these tips, you can ensure your plants stay healthy and happy.

Should I repot indoor plants after buying?

Repotting houseplants is best during active growth, which occurs from April through August in Iowa. After this time, plants go dormant and should be avoided unless they show signs of being severely rootbound. If a new houseplant is brought home, give it 3-5 days to adjust to its new environment before repotting. Overplanting is a common problem with houseplants, as it occurs when plants are repotted into containers that are too large, leaving a small root system in a large volume of potting soil.

Most plants prefer smaller containers and it’s okay for them to be a little rootbound. It’s recommended to sizing up no more than one size from the current pot, usually done in 2″ increments. Orchids may need a specialized container with large holes for extra air circulation around the roots.