Returning houseplants inside

Bring them back in before frosts strike, says Ruth

- Ruth Hayes

IF any of your houseplants spent summer in the garden it is time to start thinking about bringing them back in, before the evening temperatures drop much further.

They will need to be acclimatised to being back indoors, with lower light levels and a drier atmosphere. This is especially important in areas of the country that have experienced extreme heat and dryness this summer.

Your plants may have grown since they went outside but don’t re-pot them until next spring, when growing roots will make the most of fresh compost.

The most important thing to do is check plants for pests (and I say this as someone who has found vine weevils strolling around their living room after moving houseplants outside in summer).

Look for signs of slug and snail damage, as well as pests lurking around the rims of pots, under leaves and tucked just under the compost. If possible, carefully tap the plants free from the pots to check there are no snail eggs laid in compost air pockets.