Is It Time To Bring Your Garden Indoors?

I don’t enjoy this part.  Dropping temperatures are signaling it’s time to get plants ready to move indoors for the winter.  I know it has to be done but this means the season is almost over.   And I know the plants don’t like it anymore than I do!  (However, my schefflera seems to adjust pretty well inside after its summer vacation in the backyard!)

Getting Ready To Move

It’s a good idea to start the process well before a surprise frost sneaks in.  And besides, the plants aren’t real keen on change so they need time to adjust!  They make a better transition to the different temperature and humidity if they can move indoors while the windows are still open and the light is still pretty good.  However, it’s important to complete a few steps outside before you ever bring the first plant inside:

• Get rid of any pests in the soil or on the leaves.  Otherwise, you could lose everything from an infestation of these hitchhikers!  First, use the hose to spray off all the leaves with as much force as the plants will tolerate.  If you suspect there still may be some bugs or aphids present, wipe off the leaves (top and bottom) with an insecticidal soap.  You can also use a spray bottle with the solution but you must spray every leaf top and bottom.  To get rid of any bugs in the dirt, simply set the whole pot in a bucket of water containing the soap as well.  After sitting for 2-3 hours, the bugs will be driven out and killed by the soapy solution – and it won’t hurt the plants.  They’ll appreciate the good drink before coming inside.
• Some plants may have outgrown their pots during the summer so check to see if they need re-potted.  Support the plant on the surface of the soil with one hand and turn it over with the other hand.  You may need to gently tap a few times to ease it out of the pot.  If you see a mass of roots and very little soil, it’s time to re-pot.  If there’s just a heavy growth at the top, a little pruning and new dirt will probably do just fine.
• Gently prunethe plant before bringing it inside.  Think of it as a back to school haircut!
• It’s usually a good idea to move the plants to a shady spot for a few days before taking them inside.  Going from full sunlight indoors can be quite a shock.
• Finally, keep a watchful eye out for bugs when you do bring them inside.  You may even want to quarantine them them away from other indoor plants for 2-3 weeks before integrating them with the others. 

So Which Plants Do You Keep?

Over the years I’ve learned which plants do better inside however I always try a new one to see how it makes it through the winter.  After all, what do I have to lose!  Here are a few tips for selecting which plants to keep:

• Select only the healthy plants.  If a plant hasn’t done well in the conditions outside, it probably won’t do any better inside.
• Discard any plants that are heavily infested with bugs, disease or aphids.  You can certainly take care of a small bug problem before you bring it inside, but give it up if it’s already in bad shape.  It’s not worth taking the chance inside with your other plants – the problem will only get worse.
• If you have good light available, go ahead and try your blooming plants like geraniums and begonias.  They can make beautiful houseplants IF they have enough light.
• You may want to keep a few potted perennials in a cool garage or basement environment if they go dormant during the winter.  Lavender or maybe some herbs will be OK if they are kept watered.
• Some of the compact, smaller varieties of patio tomatoes will do just fine and even bear fruit inside IF they have enough light and are in a good size pot.
• If you don’t have enough room or enough light for your favorite plants, take some cuttings for next year.  Cut several 3-4 inch stems from the plant and root them in water.  When the roots are about an inch long, the stems are ready to be potted.  A great head start for next year.

Bringing your outdoor plants inside the house during the winter can lift your spirits and even the humidity on a cold, gray day. Some plants even clean the air, too! Fewer fungus spores and allergens have been found in rooms that have plants. So try to have at least one houseplant for every 100 square feet of living space to improve the air quality – and your mood! The more the merrier!