Move Indoor Plants Outside
Send your houseplants on a holiday in the sun.
When warm weather calls you outside, take your houseplants with you. Give these indoor dwellers a spot outside once warmer temps are holding steady to encourage leaf growth and spruce up your patio in one go. But—don’t place your plants in the sun without a plan, or they may burn. Follow these steps to prep your greenery for brighter days outdoors.
Which Houseplants Can Be Moved Outside?
Most indoor plants can be moved outdoors, but some have an easier transition than others. You'll notice the most resilient outdoor plants are succulents. At Greendigs, we make it easy for you to buy succulents online so you can quickly find the right indoor and outdoor plants for your space. The plants best suited to take on the outdoors are:
- Snake Plant
- Ponytail Palm
- Jade Succulent
- String of Pearls
- Horntree Jade Succulent
- Echeveria Succulent
- Roundtail Snake Plant
- Red Chinese Evergreen
- Cacti
Still, to successfully transfer plants outside, you’ll need to slowly but surely acclimate them to their new conditions. Find new plants to spruce up your outdoor space with our variety of houseplants for sale online, including the ones highlighted above.
How Do Indoor Plants Cope with Outdoor Lighting?
When you move indoor plants into the great outdoors, you want to avoid any shock to their system. That’s why finding the right lighting for the right amount of time is key. Try to simulate the same lighting they had indoors. Find a spot that provides a bit of shade or filtered light. Then begin by setting plants in that shaded outdoor area for a few hours each day, increasing the time gradually over the span of a week. Slowly introduce your plants to the morning sun, but be careful to never expose your houseplants to direct sunlight.
Can a Plant Get Too Much Sun?
Just as many houseplants don’t like direct sunlight indoors, they can’t tolerate it outdoors either. We recommend you aim for a filtered light environment to avoid sunburn. While leaf burn won’t kill your plants, it’s certainly a signal that their lighting is too harsh. Unfortunately, there’s no SPF-50 for your leafy friends, so an ounce of precaution will have to do. If you notice certain leaves becoming yellow or white before turning brown, those leaves are likely getting too much sun. Move the plant to a less sunny area.
When Should I Move My Plants Outside?
Conveniently, right around the time that you’re ready to start enjoying outdoor spaces, so are your plants. Wait for outdoor temperatures to reach at least 50 degrees before getting them accustomed to outdoor lighting. Don’t forget to keep nightly temperatures in mind. If a sunny day turns into a cool night, you can simply bring the plants indoors until the temperatures rise.
Is Rain Okay for Houseplants?
Light summer rain is not only okay for your plants, it does them wonders! Let your plants enjoy getting their leaves rinsed off. As long as winds don’t get too severe, they’ll love the shower. Just remember that outdoor plants don’t require the bottom saucer for your pot. Removing it allows the soil to drain after it receives rain or water. Try upcycling those spare saucers into something else, like coasters!
How Often Should Outdoor Houseplants Get Watered?
Just when you finally acclimated to their watering schedule, this shift outdoors changes everything. Or does it? Well, that all depends on the weather. Factors like heat, rain, and wind will affect when you need water. To check if your plant needs water, you can use a Plant Moisture Indicator or you can simply poke your finger about an inch into the plant’s soil. If the soil feels dry, give your plant a thorough watering. If it’s not, wait a day and check again. Keep a frequent eye on plants that you have transitioned outdoors. As temperatures rise, you may need to water more often than you did when your plant was indoors. Just check to confirm.
Do Houseplants Require Misting Outside?
Misting helps simulate outdoor humidity and morning dew. Once your plants are placed outside, there may not be a need for the simulation, as long as they’re experiencing the real thing! If you live in a humid or often moist region, like the northeast, northwest, southeast, or midwest, then you can skip the misting. In dry, arid regions like the desert, occasional misting will help your plant leaves from getting too dusty or dry.
Can Houseplants Hang In The Cold?
When patio season comes to an end, it’s time to bring in the umbrella, the non-waterproof chair cushions, and, yep, your houseplants too. Even after they’ve been acclimated to outside conditions, they’ll still need a minimum of 50-degree weather to survive. When bringing the plants inside, acclimate them to the indoor lighting again by first setting them in an area with more sun before gradually returning them to their original indoor location. Keep them inside until warmer temps return, making sure to maintain indirect light requirements.