Bring Houseplants Indoors

End their summer holiday as temperatures fall, says Ruth

- Ruth Hayes

IF you moved some houseplants into the garden so they could take advantage of sunlight to bolster growth and rainwater to hydrate their roots and wash the dust off their leaves, it’s time to start thinking about moving them back indoors.

This is more important the further north you live, but wherever you are you need to get houseplants back inside before the first frosts.

Although they have had several weeks to get used to conditions in the garden, most houseplants originate from warmer climates and will quickly succumb when the mercury drops.

You can’t simply plonk your plants where they were before and expect them to thrive. Just as you acclimatized them gently when they went out, you need to do the same bringing them back in, because lower light levels, lower temperatures and drier air can be a shock to them.