The air is quickly getting chillier, and soon the sun is going to slowly start setting earlier and rising later. 

These common signs that summer is coming to an end and fall is beginning not only signals the fact that we all have to start dressing a little warmer, but it also may be signaling the end of summer gardening, outside gatherings and the start of some extra work to prepare your outdoor plants for the colder months. 

While it’s already late September, it always feels like these seasonal changes happen overnight, which means you can go from doing summer activities one day to pulling out your flannels and long pants the next.

These changes also mean that you may need to start thinking about bringing houseplants like ferns and herbs inside to survive the chillier days ahead, especially if you want to keep them alive for next year.

Not only is this something you don’t want to wait until the first frost date to do, but it’s also something that takes some strategy, care and time. 

If you don’t know where to start, we spoke with a gardening expert to get some help. Find out below what Danielle Sherwood, the managing editor of Epic Gardening, shared with us about generally when you should start bringing houseplants inside once it’s fall, how to transition them back inside and what may happen to them if they’re left too long out in the cold.

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The Magic Temperature for Bringing Plants Indoors

While Sherwood says that many plants differ in their environment needs and that there isn’t necessarily one “magic temperature” to look out for, there is a benchmark you can keep in mind this fall for when to bring your houseplants inside. 

She says that “50°F is a useful benchmark for many cold-sensitive plants,” she says. “Some plants tolerate more cold than others. Even within groups like herbs, for example, you have cold-sensitive basil and the more tolerant rosemary.”

According to her, this guideline also applies to most annuals and tropical plants due to their “dislike” of temperatures below 50°F at night.

“While the exact timing depends on each plant’s temperature sensitivity, this is a good guideline,” she says of the 50°F marker, adding that it’s critical to bring in cold-sensitive plants before your first fall frost.

“Plan to move plants indoors a week or two before the cold hits,” Sherwood says. “This way, they don’t have to adjust to indoor conditions and recover from the stress of being left out too long at the same time.”

How to Transition Your Houseplants Back Inside

As for how to actually transition your houseplants back inside for the cooler months, Sherwood has a step-by-step guide you can follow.

1. First, choose which plants to bring indoors. Hardy perennials in your zone can stay out, and many even need a period of cold-induced dormancy. For tender plants, make sure they’re in good shape. Healthy plants are more likely to survive winter, so if they’re already limping along with pest or disease issues, it may be best to call it a loss unless you want to give them lots of TLC over the colder months.
2. Once your plants have passed the health test, consider placing them in a shady and sheltered outdoor spot for a few days to get used to the lower light.
3. Before bringing them inside, do a thorough pest inspection so you don’t bring in any bugs that will bother you and your other houseplants. Don’t forget to check the underside of the leaves and the soil surface, which is where many pests like to hide. Do a quick prune to remove any dead or damaged growth.
4. When you’re ready to move your houseplants inside, double-check their sun exposure requirements. Some plants prefer lower light conditions, but the ones that thrive with full sun exposure should be placed in front of your brightest window or supplemented with grow lights. Don’t be surprised if their growth slows in the off season, and cut back on fertilizing. Most plants also need less water than they did outside during their active summer growth period.

What Happens If Houseplants Are Left in the Cold Too Long?

You’ll know you’ve left certain plants out in the cold too long because they’ll visually show their distress.

“Symptoms like wilting, discoloration, leaf drop and slowed growth may show up after the first cold night,” Sherwood says. “With more severe exposure, you may get blackened leaves and collapsed, water-soaked tissue in response to frost damage.”

She adds that sometimes these symptoms may take some time to show up because only nights spent in colder temperatures may not immediately affect your plants. 

“It’s always better to think ahead and give plants time to adjust to indoor growing conditions before the weather turns, leaving you with stressed-out plants in need of rescue,” she says.

Sherwood’s general guidelines of bringing plants in when temperatures drop to 50°F and slowly adapting your plants to indoor life are a great blueprint to follow if you’re struggling to find the best care for your plant. And of course, it never hurts to research your own specific plants and see what their needs are.

While nobody can guarantee that your formerly outdoor plants will survive the winter inside, these tips are definitely going to give many of your plants their best chance at survival so they can hopefully thrive and grow again in the spring.

Source:

• Danielle Sherwood is the managing editor of Epic Gardening.