How to Bring Outdoor Plants Indoors (2024)

Have you brought your plants inside? Here’s advice on which plants will survive winter and how to take care of your plants whileindoors.

Whento Bring PlantsInside

True annuals and plants we grow as annuals (considered tender perennials insouthern regions) cannot survive cold winter temperatures. But there’s no need to say farewell to these plants forever! Many “annuals”can be brought inside, even tender plants that need a winter dormancy period. These should ideally come indoors before nighttime temperatures dip below 45°F (7°C).As fall approaches and night temperatures reach about 50°F (10°C), start bringing the plants inside for thewinter.

Most tropical plants will suffer damage at temperatures below 40°F (4°C), a few even below 50°.You will need to act well before any actual frost or freeze to acclimatethem.

Where to Put YourPlants

Even though we have a greenhouse attached to the house that gets plenty of sun, and the temperature there doesn’t usually drop below 45°F, I still have difficulty finding room for everything. Luckily, many of these plants would undergo a dry period in their native lands and don’t mind being shoved under a bench to rest.

If you don’t have a greenhouse and have a lot of plants that need high humidity, think aboutcreating a shelf or area to group these plants.Some folks mist their indoor plants, and—while this does help—it only lasts for a short period. A better long-term solution is using a pebble tray under your plants. Line the trays with waterproof material, add a layer of gravel, and place the pots on top. Keep the gravel moist.If you have hanging plants, perhaps you want to install some ceiling hooks. It’s also a good idea to clean yourwindows—inside and out—to ensure plants get adequate light thiswinter.

Which Plants To BringInside

You may need to decide what’s worth keeping and bringing indoors.Which plants are your keepsakes? Which are the most expensive to replace? Also, keep only the healthy plants, not those with disease or pest problems.Your indoor lighting will be crucial, too.In winter, even a west or south-facing glassed area has only the winter light intensity of a shady area in thesummer.

Plants that can be brought inside fall into twogroups:

1. Plants that require a winter dormancyperiod.
2. Plants that can remain actively growing through the wintermonths.

Plants Requiring WinterDormancy

Some tender bulbs require a “dormant” time in a cool place where the temperature is still well above freezing. Many of these bulbs are expensive and worth overwintering. Examples of tender bulbsare:

• Caladiums
• Callalilies
• Cannas
• Dahlias
• Elephantears
• Gladiolus
• Tuberroses

For tender bulbsin pots, stop watering them, cut off the dying foliage, and tuck them away in a dark, cool, spot. Check the soil moistureperiodically.

For tender bulbsin the ground, dig them up and cut the foliage back. Brush off as much soil from the bulb as possible by hand. Place them in a warm, dry area for 7 to 14 days to dry. This removes excess moisture. Pack them loosely in a cardboard box or open container, separated by shredded newspaper or dry peat moss. Tuck away in a cold, dark place. Pot them up in the spring about a month before you want to put them outside for a jump on theseason.

Read my post on how to store tender bulbs for winter.

Plants That Keep Growing inWinter

Many of my annuals, herbs, and tropical plantswill keep growing through the winter, and some will even reward me with a bloom or two. These will need a prime spot in the sun, but they don’t seem to mind the cooltemperatures.

• Coleus
• Fibrousbegonia
• Fuchsia
• Geranium (if given plenty oflight)
• Hibiscus
• Cymbidium
• Amaryllis
• Agapanthus
• Iresine
• Mandevilla
• Rosemary

It’s best toacclimate the plant to a lower lighting level for a few days before moving them fully indoors. For example, move a plant in full sun outdoors to a shadier area outside. If your plants have been used to bright light, try to put them in similar light indoors,like a south window or under plant lights on a timer for 16 hours a day. Do not worryabout leaf drop as the plants adjust to interior conditions; they willrecover.

Also, if yourplant needs some pruning to temporarily reduce its size, prune it before bringing itinside.

The fuchsia are a bit of a bug magnet, so I cut off their leaves and water the roots just enough to keep them living. In spring, they will start up again with fresh new growth and be in the bud when it is time to go backoutside.

We keep the geraniums blooming all winter as well, but if you lack a sunny place for them, you can let them go dormant by cutting back by about half, putting a bag over the top, and watering only if they begin to shrivel. Some people even remove them from their potsand hang the bare-root plants upside-down in a dark, cool place, spraying them with water occasionally to keep them from shriveling up. Soak the bare roots in the spring for several hours to rehydrate them and then repot theplants.

Get Rid ofPests

To ensure I’m not bringing in any unwanted visitors, I rinse all the leaves with a vigorous spray of water and check the pots all over, especially under the rim, for bugs, slugs, cocoons, and eggmasses.

When they are observed, treat an infestation with insecticidal soap or other insecticide labeled for these pests. I try to spray all the leaves down with a soapy spray made from 1 tsp. of non-detergent soap (I use Dr. Bronner’s liquid lavender mostly because it smells so good) mixed with water in a 1 qt. spray bottle. Spider mites have a 7 to 10-day life cycle, so weekly spraying usually halts their growth. If I notice whiteflies, I’ll put up some yellow sticky cards to catch them. Don’t forget to spray under the lip of the container and the bottom of the container, where insects canhide.

Indoor Plant CareTips

Don’t over-water! This is the most common cause of death for indoor plants, which don’t need much water in wintertime.Let the top 1/2 inch of the soil get dry to the touch before watering again.If in doubt, don’t water. Water succulents even less often when the soil has been dry for several days. Don’t water incloudy or rainy weather, as plants won’t get sufficient light indoors to dryout.

Plants require little, if any, fertilizer during the winter months due to lower light intensity levels. Fertilize in the spring, just before new growthbegins.

You can save yourself a bundle by overwintering some expensive tropical plants. If you have more plants than window space allows, offer them to a gardeningfriend!

TakingCuttings

Just to be on the safe side, I also take cuttings of some of my favorites—like the iresine, begonias, geraniums, impatiens, and coleus. All will root easily in water and make attractivehouseplants.

Cuttings are a wonderful and inexpensive way to create more plants if you lack space to store pots over thewinter.

To take a cutting:

1. Choose healthy shoots and trim them about 2 to 3 inches below a leaf node. Remove any lower leaves and flowerbuds.
2. Insert the cutting in amoistenedrooting medium—such as coarse sand, vermiculite, or sterile potting mix (which typically contains both peat and perlite). Also, insert at least one leaf node below the medium surface. Tip: It is optional, but consider dipping the cutting in a rooting hormone prior to planting. It may help the odds ofsuccess.
3. Place the cutting in bright, indirect light. Maintain an even moisture level. Covering the container with a plastic hood or clear bag will reduce overall moistureloss.

Rooting typically takes one to three weeks, depending on the plant. Once the roots are well developed, you cantransplant to a largercontainer.

Moving Plants Back Outside inSpring

In spring, your plantswill start to send up new growth and you can drag those pots back into the sunlight and resume watering them. If needed, I will give them a new pot with freshsoil.

To be on the safe side, wait until after the last frost to move them backoutside.

A Few More WinterizingTips

• Plastic and wooden containers can be left outside for the winter. Terracotta clay containers, however, may crack and should be broughtinside.
• Before the temperature drops to freezing (32°F / 0°C), disconnect gardenhoses from any outdoor faucets. Fully drain the hoses and screw the ends together to keep out any insects and debris. Then store them under the deck or in thegarage.
• Good tools are expensive! Spend the time to take care of them properly.Clean tools with a wire brush and sharpen the surfaces. Apply a coat of light oil or product such as WD-40 to metal surfaces. Wipe wooden handles with an all-purpose cleaner and apply a light coating of wood preservative.See how to care for and sharpen garden tools.

Read more of my tips on fall garden clean-up.

Here is more advice on preparing your garden for winter—from the vegetable beds to rose bushes totrees andshrubs!