It's Time to Move Your Houseplants Indoors

If your houseplants have spent the summer on your deck or patio, now is the time to begin transitioning them back indoors. Herbs from your garden and flowering plants from window boxes can also be brought inside to provide continued flavor and color throughout the colder months. Down to Earth offers the following tips to ensure a smooth, stress-free transition for your greenery.

Transition plants gradually:

• Sudden changes in temperature, light, and humidity can stress plants, causing dropping leaves or wilting.
• Start by moving plants to a shadier area outdoors to acclimate them to lower light levels.
• Clean your windows inside and out to maximize the natural light they will receive indoors.

Check for bugs before moving plants inside:

• Apply a systemic insecticide 10 days prior to the move.
• Trim off dead leaves and spent blooms to eliminate lurking insects or diseases.
• Hose plants down or spray with insecticidal soap to remove pests.
• For extreme infestations, submerge the entire plant and pot in a large tub of soapy water, allowing it to drain completely before moving indoors.

Repotting and pruning tips:

• If a plant has outgrown its current container, repot it into one that is at least two inches larger in diameter.
• For plants that have grown leggy, remove them from the container and prune the top and roots in equal proportions. Scrub the original pot, add fresh potting soil, and replant.
• Use the correct soil for your specific plants. Succulents, cacti, African violets, and orchids require different soil blends to thrive compared to standard houseplants.

Choose a good indoor location:

• Place plants in a well-lit area away from heating vents or cold drafts.
• Avoid overwatering; allow the soil surface to dry to the touch before watering again. Only water succulents when the soil has been dry for several days.
• Increasing humidity can be achieved very simply by placing plant on a saucer filled with pebbles and water. This will create a micro environment of increased humidity.

To keep your indoor plants healthy and pest-free throughout the winter, give them a quick shower with lukewarm water every six weeks. By spring, they will be ready to thrive outdoors once again.

Down to Earth Living Garden Center encourages customers to bring in photos of their garden or backyard, as well as images that inspire them, and speak with Down to Earth experts for personalized guidance on how to bring their visions to life. The team assists with selecting plants, shrubs, containers, and statuary to achieve the desired look. The expanded indoor plant showroom is open all year, and free repotting is available with any plant or pot purchase.

Down to Earth Living, now in its 56th year, is a Garden Center serving Rockland, Bergen, and Orange counties and the Hudson Valley, offering 12.5 acres filled with perennials, flowers, shrubs, and trees, with new plants arriving weekly. The 10,000-square-foot showroom features a selection of contemporary, classic, traditional, and transitional teak, aluminum, and all-weather dining and deep-seated furniture. Located at 1040 Route 45 in Pomona, N.Y. For more information, call 845-354-8500 or visit www.dteliving.com.