Photo by Jan Antonin Kolar on Unsplash
When the nights get cold enough to bring frost, that’s when a lot of your plants are going to die. Not all of them have to go, though! There are lots of plants you can bring inside for winter, especially the ones that you’re growing in pots.
Here are some tips for transitioning those plants from outside to inside and caring for them once they’re in your house.
Know Your Plants
Before bringing anything inside, research the kind of plant you’re bringing in. Some plants don’t do well inside and others require winter dormancy. There are lots of plants that will do better if you just leave them for the winter and let them grow back in the spring.
The Spruce provides some criteria you should follow when deciding which plants to bring indoors. Some of the criteria include:
Bring only healthy plants inside, not ones that have been struggling all summer anyway.
Don’t bring inside plants that have signs of disease.
Prioritize your favourite plants. Your house doesn’t have as many sunny spots as your lawn. You don’t have room for everything.
Could it be useful? Some small vegetable plants like tomatoes and peppers can do well inside. Herbs are especially good as well.
You really need to pick and choose your plants, not just based on what was pretty this summer, but what will be able to thrive indoors.
Debug Them
It’s only normal for your outdoor plants to have bugs, but you don’t want those in your house. You want to gently clean your plants before bringing them inside, especially if you already have indoor plants. You don’t want bugs they’re not acclimated to spreading to them.
“I hold the plants sideways and spray with water from [the] hose lightly to clean and debug leaves. The water pressure should be high enough to dislodge bugs and grime, but not hard enough to harm leaves.” - Feathers in the Woods
Check leaves, stems, and flowers for pests. It’s recommended that you clean the soil, too. Bugs can be anywhere.
Be Careful When Watering
Once your plants are inside you’ll want to do what you always do—water them. Be careful with this. You’re going to be tempted to water them just as you did in the summer outside, but inside these plants don’t need the same amount. Summer sun and heat evaporate a lot of water, making your plants thirsty. Inside? Not so much.
Of course, you still need to water your plants, you just need to be careful and change the amount based on how your plants are adapting to their new life inside.
“It’s also important to make sure that your plants have proper drainage. If your plant’s container doesn’t have drainage holes, you can create a drainage layer with pebbles or stones by placing them at the bottom of the pot. This will give water a place to sit and reduce the risk of drowning your plants. “ - Dash Lawn Care
It can be amazing to have lots of plants indoors for the winter. It makes for a great escape from those cold, snowy views out of your winter. Still, if you want to have a beautiful indoor plant life, you need to know how to do it. The transition from outside to inside can be a lot for your plants, so do your research!
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