Inside, Out: How-To Bring Indoor Plants Outdoors
Transitioning your indoor plants to the outdoors is not easy. Outdoor plants require extra attention and commitment — more so than indoor plants do. We recommend moving your plants outside only if you are confident in your ability to keep an eye on them. If you are, then here's what to look out for and how-to do it.
Words by The Sill
Plants 101
Next Article
Transitioning your indoor plants to the outdoors is not easy. Outdoor plants require extra attention and commitment — more so than indoor plants do. We recommend moving your plants outside only if you are confident in your ability to keep an eye on them. If you are, then here's what to look out for and how-to do it.
The short version is: place your plants outside in full shade for at least 2 weeks as they acclimate, then move to the appropriate lighting.
But... there are factors out of your control outdoors that need extra attention:
Wind
One of the biggest challenges is the wind, especially on rooftops and balconies, where wind can knock plants right over, dry plants out, or can even chill them if the weather is cooler. Get acquainted with how windy your outdoor space gets before making any plant moves.
Sun & Heat
One of the other biggest challenges is the sun and heat on those warm summer days. In cities, bricks and concrete absorb and radiate heat exceptionally well, and your plants could end up cooked like egg. The heat will also dry out your plants' potting mix much faster than when they are indoors! You will most likely be watering every single day, possibly even twice a day, especially in summer. If you miss even just one watering, the sun and heat will dry your plants out, quick. Check your outdoor houseplants daily! No exceptions.
Water & Rain
If your plant is in a planter without drainage, do not put it outside. Why? Accumulating rain can be trouble for any plant in a non-draining pot, as rain can accumulate in the non-draining planter quickly and lead to overwatering and potentially root rot. For plants in planters with drainage, when it does rain, you can skip watering that day.
Leaf Drop When Back Indoors
When you bring your plants back indoors for fall, your plants will receive less light and therefore less food. That means unless you keep plants in a well-lit area like near or on a window, or with a supplemental light, your plants will drop leaves when you bring them back indoors. (Learn more about light requirements here.)
Pests
While your plants are outdoors, you may notice a few bites taken out of them. Totally normal. What to watch for are plants that have insects making a home out of your plant. That is, when you bring your plants back in, you may be bringing pests back in as well. Always trim and inspect plants thoroughly before bringing back indoors. You can even spray them with insecticidal soap to be extra cautious.
Low Temperatures
Bring out your indoor plants outside when nightly temperatures are consistently above about 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius). If temperatures dip below, bring them back inside.
How-To Move Plants Outdoors
Take your houseplants in pots with drainage holes (see: Water & Rain) and place them in full shade outdoors. No direct sunlight to start. Not even for sun-worshipping cacti and succulents. Remember that indoor light is much weaker than outdoor light. Plants that have adjusted to indoor light can burn if placed in outdoor direct sunlight (even if they were in bright direct light inside). Ambient light or shade is best for them to acclimate to outdoors. After about two weeks in the shade, you can move plants to their appropriate light needs.
Benefits
Besides beautifying your outdoor space, bringing your plants outdoors has its perks:
Faster Plant Growth
“The darkest shade outdoors is still brighter than a bright window indoors” is not just a horticultural adage. Make it your mantra for when you move your plants outdoors. Light is food for plants. The more light you give them, the more food they are receiving and the faster they will grow. If you want your Monstera to be monstrous or desire an even bigger Fiddle Leaf Fig, you will want to put these plants outside for the summertime. You should see growth in a relatively quick period of time.
Stimulate Fill-In On Sparse Plants
If you have a plant that looks sparse, putting it outdoors will help to activate dormant lateral buds in some plants aka your plant will become fuller in shape. Combine that with light pruning, and you’ll have a super bushy plant by summer’s end.
Vivid Colors + Flowering
For plants that produce pigments, the color will be enhanced and vibrant and leaves will be larger than if left indoors. Some plants like cacti may even start to flower.
Free Up Space
Putting plants outside frees up space inside. With all that space, you can see what new plants you want to add to your plant collection. Be sure to give your place a clean sweep.
Keep growing your plant knowledge.
Want more tips? Sign up for our plant care newsletter and find out how to keep your plants healthy and happy.
Learn how to care for the Petite Knock Out® Rose!
The Petite Knock Out® Rose is an easy-to-grow shrub rose bush that can be added to your indoor ...
As begin to adjust to lower light (goodbye, daylight saving time), it’s time to bring our outdoor plants inside. To successfully transition your p...
If you’ve noticed that your plants are stretching up tall or leaning to a particular side, your plant may be craving more sunlight.
After your ne...
Learn how to care for the Silver Satin, or Scindapsus pictus!
The Silver Satin (Scindapsus pictus) is native to Southeast Asia and has the reputa...
Learn how to care for the Schlumbergera, better known as Christmas cactus, Thanksgiving cactus or holiday cactus, a genus of cacti found in southe...
There are different types of pests out there and we’ll help you to identify which ones are in your plants and how to get rid of them.
It’s a mo...
Autumn leaves are falling, and we’re embracing sweater weather and cozy time at home. If you’re a budding plant parent or would just like to add a...
National Coffee Day is here and our minds are on our favorite cup of joe - and how we can use it to help our plants, too.
If you’re a coffee drink...
Tired of the frequent trips to your local grocery store for fresh herbs? Here’s some tips on bringing the outside in and creating an herb garden ri...
While the average tropical houseplant should be repotted about once a year in fresh potting mix, Phalaenopsis orchids are a whole different repotti...
Just as we start feeling the winter blues, our orchids start going into dormancy. When spring rolls around again, your Phalaenopsis orchid might ne...
Learn how to care for an Anthurium.
Anthuriums are flowering plants native to the Americas. They are known for their brightly colored flowers, wh...
Orchids are epiphytic in their native habitat, growing on trees and rock formations, instead of directly in the ground. The orchid family (Orchidac...
Learn how to care for the Aluminum Pilea.
The small, but fast growing Pilea cadieri originates from rainforests in Vietnam. One of over 200 specie...
Learn how to care for most varieties of Maranta.
Maranta is the type-genus of Marantaceae, and is named in honor of Bartolomeo Maranta, an Italian ...
Learn how to care for most varieties of Calathea!
Calathea is a genus of neotropical rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plants; members of which are ...
Learn how to care for most varieties of Fiddle Leaf Fig!
Ficus lyrata is a species of evergreen tropical tree native to the tropical lowlands of we...
Learn how to care for most varieties of Rubber Tree!
Ficus elastica is a species of evergreen tropical tree native to southern China, Southeast Asi...
Learn how to care for the Parlor Palm!
Chamaedorea elegans, also known as the Neanthe Bella Parlor Palm, is one of our favorite true palms. Parlor ...
Learn how to care for most varieties of Monstera!
Monstera are species of evergreen tropical vines/shrubs that are native to Central America. Monst...
Learn how to care for most varieties of Dino Plant!
The Dino Plant, also known as the Selaginella lepidophylla, is an ancient rosette-forming herb ...
Learn how to care for most varieties of Norfolk Island Pine!
The Norfolk Island Pine hails from Norfolk Island, a small island in the Pacific Ocean...
Learn how to care for most varieties of Oxalis!
Oxalis is the largest genus in the family Oxalidaceae and represents about 800 of the 900 species w...
Learn how to care for the Golden Pothos!
The Golden Pothos, or the Epipremnum aureum, is native to Southeast Asia. It has the reputation of being o...
Learn how to care for the Pencil Plant!
The Pencil Plant or Euphorbia Tirucalli is a succulent native to South and East Africa. The plant’s namesak...
Learn how to care for the Moon Valley Pilea!
The Moon Valley Pilea or Pilea Mollis is native to Central and South America. Its common name, Moon Va...
Learn how to care for the Majesty Palm!
The Majesty Palm is a robust, tropical palm with graceful, feathery fronds that originates from Madagascar....
Learn how to care for the ZZ Plant!
The Zamioculcas zamiifolia – or ZZ plant — is a tropical perennial native to Eastern Africa that has become pop...
Learn how to care for the Ripple Peperomia!
The Peperomia genus has over 1000 species, but only a dozen or so make for good houseplants. The Pepero...
Learn how to care for a Jade Plant!
The Crassula ovata (or Jade Plant) originates from South Africa. The word crassus in Latin means “thick”. The n...
Learn how to care for the Haworthia!
The Haworthia is a miniature succulent native to South Africa, and is one of the easiest houseplants to care f...
Learn how to care for the Heartleaf Philodendron!
The Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum) is an evergreen perennial vine, native to Tr...
Learn how to care for the Bird’s Nest Fern!
Native to tropical regions such as southeast Asia, Australia, east Africa and Hawaii to name a few, Bir...
Learn how to care for the Canela Tree, AKA the Cinnamon Plant!
The Canela Tree, also known as the cinnamon plant, is related to the culinary cinnam...
Learn how to care for the Rex Begonia!
Rex Begonias are admired for their fabulous foliage. The cultivar offers a wide range of colors, textures, a...
Learn how to care for most varieties of Peperomia!
The Peperomia genus has over 1,000 species, but only a dozen or so are suitable as houseplants. ...
Learn how to care for the Peperomia Green (or Baby Rubber Plant)!
The Peperomia Obtusifolia is a succulent-like variety of Peperomia, originally fo...
Learn how to care for the Arrowhead Plant!
The Arrowhead (Syngonium podophyllum) is native to the tropical rain forests in Central and South Americ...
A common houseplant that’s easy to grow sounds like the perfect plant, right? The ZZ Plant may very well be the perfect plant, known for its adapti...
Ferns are fabulous. They are amongst the first plants on earth to form a vascular system, allowing them to tower over mosses and grow to heights ne...
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Shakespeare knew names were important. They can tell us a lot of information about something, or som...
Not the electric kind you twist, but the ones you bury into soft, warm soil, lovingly water, and check in on (maybe a little too often), in hopes a...
Resembling the fan-favorite rubber plant, just tinier, Peperomia are plants in the peppercorn family, Piperaceae. Peperomia make great houseplants,...
Not only can indoor plants transform a room’s aesthetic, but they also have the ability to boost mood, increase creativity, lessen stress, and filt...
Unusual, gorgeous, tropical. If you’ve ever mistaken a plant for a bird, or vice versa, you may have encountered a Bird of Paradise plant. Let’s ta...
Calathea (Calathea spp. and hybrids.) is a genus of neotropical rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plants; members of which are referred to generally...
Sure, money doesn’t grow on trees, but the Coin Plant / Chinese Money Plant (Pilea peperomioides) is worth spending some time on.
Take a closer look at this amazing yet common houseplant.
If you’ve ever experienced a New York summer, you might describe it as humid. The blankety, moisture-filled air that makes morning commutes sticky,...
The trendiest plant in the game is of course, the Fiddle Leaf Fig. Flip through any home decor mag or scroll down design-y Instagram accounts and i...