Bringing Houseplants Inside ~ A Survival Guide

On Cape Cod we bring houseplants indoors in October. Sometimes we rush through this process, trying to beat a predicted frost. Other times we can take time to clean the plants of dead leaves and weeds, spray them with insecticidal soap while they’re still outdoors, and move them in gradually. There is no one “best way” because we all lead busy lives and are just doing out best when it comes to our plants and gardens.

Here are some tips for successfully bringing plants in and helping them adjust to being inside again.

• Check under the pots and around rims to be sure there aren’t slugs hiding out in dark, damp places.
• Pull any weeds that have sprouted in the soil while the plants have been outside.
• Be sure you have plenty of saucers to put under the pots. these should be an inch or more larger than the bottom of the pots so that they can collect a good amount of water before it spills over onto your tables or floors. Without a good sized saucer you won’t be able to water the plants thoroughly.
• Have the following products on hand: Yellow sticky whitefly traps to catch any whitefly, fungus gnats and fruit flies. Spinosad (Captain Jacks) to put in the watering can if you do get fungus gnats…the larvae live in the soil and watering with Captain Jacks will kill those larvae. Insecticidal soap to treat any aphids and other pests promptly.
• Place sun-loving plants near south or west facing windows, and shade loving plants near eastern or northern windows.