When do I Bring my Houseplants Inside?

Fall is finally here! The leaves are turning, the morning air is nice and crisp, and everything either tastes or smells like pumpkin! We may love the changing of the season but the houseplants on your porch are not as thrilled. Most houseplants are native to warm tropical areas with mild temperatures and high humidity all year. In Charleston, that means your houseplants can enjoy a summer vacation but need to come back inside towards the end of the year. As the fall temperatures roll in you might be asking yourself, "when do I bring my houseplants inside?".

There are a couple of things to consider and do before bringing your houseplants inside for the season.

Let's dig in and talk about it!

Why you need to bring your houseplants inside

If you're new to gardening or if you've never heard of the plant hardiness zone map, buckle up! Every plant has a hardiness zone that informs us where it can thrive outdoors all year! A hardiness zone is an area that is geographically defined by the average minimum winter temperature. For example, the USDA plant hardiness zone map is split into sections starting at 1a up north all the way to 13b in Puerto Rico. Charleston falls between into zones 8b - 9a depending on the area of town you live in! That means, plants that are hardy in zones 8b-9a can survive our average winter temperatures. Unfortunately, none of your houseplants fall into this zone! Most houseplants are tropical, thriving outdoors all year in zones 11-13! This is why you see pothos, monstera, philodendrons, and other 'houseplants' growing outside in southern Florida and Hawaii! So while your houseplants thrive outdoors in our warm months, they need to come inside before the temperature drops!

When to bring your houseplants inside 

Now that you understand why your houseplants need to come inside, let's talk about when you should make the big move. Some of your houseplants may be more tolerant to cooler temperatures than others but on average, you'll want to bring them inside when it's consistently in the 50's. Remember to check the night time temperature! This weekend, we may be dropping into the 40's briefly over night in Charlestons so it's time to start planning! While a few cold nights might not immediately kill your houseplants, you'll notice signs on cold damage during the following days. For all the brave plant parents out there, you can train your plants to be more hardy over time by slowly leaving them outside in cooler temps.

Tips for bringing your houseplants inside

Before bringing your houseplants inside for the winter, make sure you give them a thorough watering and rinse off the foliage. Insects are probably hiding under the leaves or in the soil, so take the appropriate steps or you may have a hitchhiker in your home! This is also a good time to inspect your houseplants for any pests and perform preventive treatment. Once you've found new homes with adequate lighting for your houseplants, it's time to stop fertilizing for the season and decrease how often you're watering. The days are getting shorter and your plants are inside, so they will become dormant and dry out mush slower.

Looking to grow your houseplant collection and knowledge? Stop by the shop and stroll through the greenhouse with us!