Outdoor Care Tips for Houseplants
Image description: A close-up of a spider plant in a terra cotta pot on a porch with the brick face of a house in the background.
Grab your sunglasses, slap on some sunscreen, and soak up the sun - summer is here and, just like us, our plants get excited for this warm weather too! Summertime is the growing season for many of your houseplants. Allowing them to bask in some fresh air, warm temperatures, and outdoor humidity can do some good for your plants’ overall health and happiness. Before rushing your plant babies outside, there are a few important factors to consider.
Taking Plants Outside in the Summer
Why do it? Summer is full of heat and long days with more light. Plants will enjoy a fresh dose of sunshine and humid air, as this mimics many of your houseplants’ natural habitats. Plants such as succulents can withstand more light and higher temperatures, but be sure to keep your plants out of the direct sunlight. You probably don’t enjoy a sunburn and neither will your plants! Taking houseplants outdoors in the summer will help make them become stronger, induce growth, and overall help them thrive.
When to do it: Taking your plants outside should only be done when the night time temperatures are consistently over 55 degrees. If a plant is left outdoors when the temperatures are lower, the plant can go into shock and become damaged from the cold. It is equally important to monitor the daytime temperatures. If the temperature is pushing 90 degrees or higher, bring them indoors to prevent overheating shock.
Where to do it: Place your plants in a mostly shaded area, such as a covered porch, or under a large tree. Direct sun will be way too strong for most houseplants with the exception of succulents which enjoy the direct light.
Pest Problems
Taking your plants on a summer vacation outdoors can be excellent for their health, however they do run the risk of acquiring a few unwanted visitors on their outdoor vacay.
You may have heard of the 5 common houseplant pests: spider mites, mealybugs, thrips, scale, and fungus gnats. But taking your indoor plants outside can open up the door to invite pests such as caterpillars, pill/potato bugs, millipedes, aphids, spiders, ants, and more on your plants!
Don’t let the fear of pests keep you from taking your indoor plants outside. There are many ways to avoid these pesky bugs and critters to keep your plant safe and healthy.
Natural Pest Control: Use materials such as cayenne pepper, garlic, and dish soap. These are great DIY solutions that you can mix with a bit of water to create a natural pest control spray. Diatomaceous earth is another organic material, found at most garden centers, that can be dusted on and around your foliage to prevent slugs and snails. You can even buy live ladybugs to release around your plants to do the work for you!
Traps: Sticky traps are used to attract insects that are attracted to a certain color. You can purchase these traps or make your own with a tough flat surface and sticky material. For more information on which bugs prefer a certain color, check out this pest-control blog from Good Housekeeping.
Insecticidal Soap: This low-toxicity spray can be found in many forms at almost any garden center. It is effective on pests such as mealybugs, aphids, mites, scales, and thrips. Insecticidal soap can only be effective when it is in the liquid form.
Using one or a combination of these preventative solutions will help protect your plants from unwanted pests and will provide your houseplants with a stress-free outdoor vacation!
Going Back Indoors
Once the hot summer days and warm nights come to end, check them for pests and bring your plant babies inside before the first frost. A good rule of thumb for bringing in your babies for the winter is two weeks before your average first frost date.
Debugging and allowing your houseplants to readapt to indoor conditions are crucial steps to take for a smooth transition. To prevent shock, your houseplants will need to readapt to the lower light conditions of a home, so slowly introduce them to lower light conditions for several hours at a time over the course of 1-2 weeks. During this time, be sure they are quarantined for a period of time before putting them near your other plants that have stayed indoors, in case of any pests or diseases that have stuck around.
By taking the proper steps and knowing how to avoid pests, your plants will love their time outside. Will you be taking your plants on an outdoor summer vacation this year?
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