I spent yesterday afternoon bringing in the houseplants. It’s a ritual I perform every year on the day before the first frost.
They say you should bring tender plants inside when temps get below 55. Plant roots are more exposed in a container.
I know this rule, but I never follow it.
I’m a rebel. I wait until right before a freeze hits. My plants always live – but they’re a bit worse for wear when I first bring them inside.
That’s not a big deal to me. After a little TLC, they spring right back to life.
Bringing In The Houseplants
Here’s how I prep my houseplants for winter:
- Clean them up. Get rid of any dead or unhealthy leaves. Check for pests and treat as needed.
- Repot. I always repot my plants in the spring. They rarely require it in the fall, but I check anyway, just in case.
- Add fresh soil. After a summer outside, the potting soil is depleted of nutrients. I top off all of my houseplants with Black Kow.
- Soak. I drop all of my plants down in a plastic tub of water for a few minutes. While they soak, I rinse their leaves and wipe down their pots.
- Bring them inside. My houseplants get spread throughout the house according to their light requirements.
- Plug in the humidifier. I offer my plants a little humidity by running a humidifier throughout the winter. It’s great for the plants – and my sinuses.
And that’s it! By Christmas, my plants will be healthy and happy again.
Granny always waited like you do. She had so many it was always a big production : ) I tried growing house plants when we first moved in ages ago but we just don’t get enough sunshine in the winter. I have managed to keep a small aloe plant alive for the last 2 years so that’s a at least one. Wishing you a great day!
I feel like letting my plants struggle a little makes them stronger. I’ve had most of my houseplants for 5 or six years now. I used to have twenty or so, but my cat killed most of them off. I’m slowly building them back up. Maybe I’ll be able to make a production out of bringing the houseplants back inside real soon!
I have the same problem with low sunlight in our house. We’re shaded by a small wooded lot behind our house and giant oaks out front. Grow lamps help a lot!
And thank ya, ma’am! I hope you and everyone over at Blind Pig had a good day too! 😉