As the days shorten, bringing plants indoors for Fall and Winter is an important task, but it requires some forethought and care. Houseplants that spent summer outdoors need to move indoors before cooler weather arrives. Other tender plants may be good candidates for overwintering inside too. A thoughtful inspection, quick cleanup, and gradual transition can make all the difference in ensuring a successful move. 

Which Plants Are Worth Bringing Indoors?

As the growing season winds down in Bettendorf, bringing plants indoors for winter can help preserve favorite tropicals and tender container plants while keeping a little extra greenery around the home.

1. Houseplants: Start with houseplants that spent the summer outdoors. Plants such as pothos, philodendrons, spider plants, begonias, and many tropical foliage plants often benefit from time outside in the summer. If you gave them a summer holiday this year, you’ll need to move them indoors before temperatures drop. 

2. Container Plants: Tender container plants are another group to consider. Tropical plants such as hibiscus, mandevilla, elephant ears, tropical palms, and other warm-weather favorites will not survive a Midwest winter, but you can preserve them by bringing them indoors. They may be worth saving, particularly if they are large, established, or difficult to replace. 

3. Tender Perennials and Herbs: Tender perennials and herbs can also make the list, depending on the plant and how much indoor space you have. A small herb that you use regularly may earn a prime kitchen windowsill, while a struggling annual that has already seen better days may be ready for the compost pile. Healthy plants that adapt reasonably well to indoor conditions are usually the best candidates for overwintering.

When Should You Start Moving Plants Inside?

Timing matters, particularly in a climate where a warm September afternoon can make winter seem impossibly far away. In Bettendorf, pay attention to nighttime temperatures, not just the daytime forecast, because tender plants can suffer when temperatures begin to dip regularly into the 50s.

You do not necessarily have to move everything indoors at once. Start by moving particularly sensitive tropicals into sheltered areas when nights begin cooling, while allowing tougher plants a little more time outdoors. A gradual approach also gives you time to inspect plants for pests, clean them up, and prepare them for life indoors before they join your collection.

Think of the transition as a change of scenery rather than an emergency evacuation. Moving plants gradually from bright outdoor conditions toward more sheltered, lower-light locations can help them adjust before they encounter the very different conditions inside your home.

Check for Pests Before Plants Come Inside

One of the most important steps in overwintering plants indoors happens before the plant crosses the threshold. Outdoor plants can pick up aphids, spider mites, scale, mealybugs, whiteflies, or other unwanted passengers during summer.

To prevent the spread of these pests indoors, inspect the leaves carefully. Pay particular attention to the undersides and crooks where leaves meet stems. Look for sticky residue, webbing, tiny insects, bumps, distorted growth, or clusters of pests. Check stems and the surface of the potting soil, too.

As an added precaution, we recommend treating plants with Bonide Houseplant Systemic Insect Control before bringing them indoors. Using a preventative treatment can help reduce the chance of unwanted insects becoming established once plants are inside and grouped near the rest of your houseplant collection.

Finding a pest outdoors is much easier than discovering one after your tropical collection is arranged throughout the house. If you spot a problem, isolate the plant and treat it appropriately before bringing it near other plants. If the plant is heavily infested or the pests cannot be removed, it may be best to discard the plant. It’s only worthwhile to move healthy plants indoors.  

It is also a good idea to keep a treatment on hand in case pests appear after the plants have made the move. A bottle of insecticidal soap or We the Wild Protect Neem Oil Spray gives you an easy option for responding quickly if you notice aphids, spider mites, mealybugs, or other common houseplant pests.

Give Your Plants a Quick Cleanup

• Remove Dead Growth: Before plants come inside, give them a simple fall cleanup. Remove dead, yellowing, or badly damaged leaves, trim away clearly spent growth, and remove debris that has collected around the base of the plant.

• Clean the Leaves: Leaves with a dusty layer can be gently cleaned with water, helping the plant make better use of the light it receives indoors. Avoid turning this into a major pruning session unless the plant actually needs it; the objective is simply to bring a clean, manageable plant into the house.

• Inspect the Container: Take a look at the container, too. Brush away soil and debris from the outside of the pot, check that drainage holes are clear, and make sure the container is not harboring insects. If roots are severely crowded or the pot is damaged, fall can be a reasonable time to address the problem, but unnecessary repotting can wait.

If a plant genuinely needs repotting before coming indoors, this is also a good opportunity to refresh its growing medium. When repotting, consider adding a little Repot Refresh from Sol Soils to the new potting mix to help refresh the soil as the plant settles into its indoor home.

Help Outdoor Plants Adjust to Indoor Light

Outdoor sunlight and indoor light are two very different experiences, even when a plant sits beside what appears to be a wonderfully bright window. A plant that spent summer soaking up sunlight on a patio may suddenly receive only a fraction of that light indoors.

This is one reason why a gradual adjustment is necessary. Before moving plants inside permanently, shift them into a more sheltered position where they receive less intense light. You can then move them indoors after a week or two.

When choosing an indoor location, consider the plant rather than simply choosing the brightest-looking window. Some tropicals appreciate strong light, while others prefer bright indirect light. Keep plants away from cold drafts, heating vents, and locations where temperature swings are particularly dramatic.

Give Yourself Time to Plan a Gradual Transition 

Because plants require a gradual transition, gardeners must plan ahead. Don’t wait until cold temperatures force you to move everything inside all at once. Even when temperatures are mild, start transitioning your plants to less light. Slowly increase their time indoors over the course of ten days until they become permanent residents inside. 

What to Expect During the First Few Weeks Indoors

Even after doing everything correctly, your plants may look a little different indoors. Some yellowing leaves, leaf drop, or slower growth can occur as plants adjust to lower light, different humidity, and changing temperatures. This does not necessarily mean something has gone wrong. A plant that was growing vigorously outside may naturally slow down when conditions change, and it may no longer use water as quickly as it did during the summer.

Resist the temptation to compensate for every change with extra water or fertilizer. Check the soil before watering and pay attention to the plant's actual needs rather than following the same routine you used outdoors.

For gardeners new to bringing houseplants inside for winter, this adjustment period can be the most unsettling part. Give plants some time to settle before deciding they are unhappy. A few lost leaves do not automatically mean you have lost the plant.

A Few Plants You May Want to Overwinter Differently

For Bettendorf gardeners, bringing plants indoors for winter is a practical way to protect favorite houseplants, tropicals, and tender container plants from colder temperatures while keeping them growing for another season. Bringing every plant indoors as a full-sized specimen is not the only way to preserve it. Depending on the species, you may be able to take cuttings, collect seeds, or store certain plants in a dormant state.

Some tender plants can be brought inside and allowed to go dormant rather than maintained as actively growing houseplants. Certain bulbs, tubers, and tropical plants may be stored in a dormant state and started again when spring approaches.

Propagation can also be a space-saving solution. Rather than finding room for a large parent plant, gardeners can sometimes take healthy cuttings and root them indoors. A few small plants on a windowsill can be much easier to accommodate than an enormous container that dominated the patio all summer.

Give Your Favorites Another Season

For gardeners interested in Bettendorf, Iowa, gardening, the transition from outdoor containers to indoor growing can become a valuable part of the seasonal routine. If you need help to decide what is worth saving, stop by Wallace's Garden Center for advice on bringing plants indoors for winter, and check out our selection of quality containers, potting soil, and other materials to help your favorites make the transition.