After months of enjoying your outdoor tropical oasis, it’s time to bring houseplants inside. Moving houseplants inside for the fall and winter months is both a gradual and simple process.

1. Easy does it.Adjusting your houseplant’s environment gradually is the key to success. Start by leaving the plants outsider during the day while it’s still warm. Bring plants inside when the nights are cooler. Repeat this process daily for approximately a week to acclimate them to the conditions inside. After this week, the plants should stay inside. Plants brought inside are less stressed when both the indoor and outdoor temperatures are about the same.
2. Protect from hitchhikers.Avoid bringing pests into your house by checking your houseplants for two basic hitchhikers: leaf dwelling pests and soil dwelling pests.Leaf dwelling pests include aphids, spider mites and mealybugs. Carefully examine leaves, particularly the undersides as this is where pests typically hide. The easiest way to remove pests is to hose down plants with a gentle spray. Use a hose with a nozzle to reach the underside of plants. Avoid a strong spray.For smaller plants, dunk the entire plant in a water-filled bucket for fifteen minutes. This will cause insects to flee. Avoid doing this with drought-tolerant plants such as cacti or succulents.If you still notice insects after washing the leaves, apply an insecticide, such as Earth Tone Insect Control. This is a fast-acting, organic insecticide that will kill adult, larvae and egg stages.

   Soil dwelling pests include slugs, earwigs, fungal gnats, and ants. Remove dead leaves and foliage from the surface of the soil and dunk the plant in a bucket of water, as described above.

   If you are unable to dunk larger plants in water, apply Mosquito Bits to the soil surface and to the soil near drainage holes.

   If you do not yet have insects on your houseplants, you can still protect them with Bonide Systemic Houseplant Insect Control. The easy to use, odorless granules protect houseplants for up to two months.
   

3. Let in the sun.Maximize your plants sunlight exposure by placing them near a bright window. A general rule of thumb is that plants positioned more than three feet away from a window, receive medium exposure to light. Plants positioned more than five feet away receive low exposure.
4. Gulp, gulp, gulp.Because houseplants receive less exposure to sun inside, they require less water. Continue to water plants until you see water exiting the drainage holes. Wait to water again until the soil has completely dried out. Do not allow plants to sit in water as this causes root rot.If you are planning a vacation in the future and want to keep your houseplants hydrated, utilize one of English Gardens Plant Nanny products to keep them watered!
5. There goes the leaves.Some plants may lose leaves as they get accustomed to the indoors. This is common and as long as they are continuing to grow, leaf drop is normal and should not cause worry.If you have any further questions about houseplants, speak with an English Gardens Associate or submit your question online.