Do you have a favorite hibiscus or palm you want to keep alive for next season but are worried about bugs or lack of sunlight? You are in the right place!
I’ve always loved plants, especially tropical shrubs and flowers like hibiscus and palm trees. They do so well during our summer weather, but reality always hits in autumn. I bring them inside the house over the winter. I’ve been doing this since I was in the sixth grade. Fast forward 20 years later, and I’m still bringing some of those same plants inside. I’ve learned a lot along the way and wanted to share some tips with you.
What do you want to bring in?
Some plants do really well inside the house over the winter, others are not going to thrive. Sun-loving plants like hibiscus, dipladenia and geraniums might not thrive inside the house like they do outside. So it’s important to manage your expectations. There will be some leaf drop and some awkward growth, but there are ways to keep them as happy as possible. Just keep them alive until spring, and let Mother Nature take care of them after that. They’ll be full and gorgeous before Fourth of July!
Scout out the perfect spot
Before you bring any plant inside, figure out where it’s going to live for the winter.
The most common mistake people make is overestimating how much light they have indoors. We’re already fighting with shorter days. Compared to the outdoors, even the brightest room gets a lot less light.
If you can, find a south-facing window for the most sunlight. If you have skylights, that’ll be the perfect spot for taller plants. I’m very lucky that my parents do!
If you don’t have enough light, grow lights can be a great alternative. Keep these no more than 2 feet away from the foliage, but some grow lights are more powerful than others. Even if they don’t generate any heat, the intensity of the light will burn your plants if it’s too close.
Tip: Rotate your plants every few weeks so all sides get equal light and prevent them from stretching toward the window.
Some plants need more sunshine than others.
Any plant that flowers outside is going to need a bright spot indoors. Palms and hibiscus are the biggest culprits because they also don’t like dry air inside the house. Keep these plants close to windows and away from heaters if possible. Leaf drop is normal on shrubby tropicals like hibiscus and anthurium. I prefer to keep fruiting plants like lemons and oranges in a bright room that stays cooler or even in my garage.
Fortunately, there are plenty of patio plants that love shade outside and do great inside the house in less ideal spots. Monstera, philodendron, anthurium, dracaena, dieffenbachia and indoor palms like parlor palms will do fine in a bright room or against a northern window. They can handle indoor humidity levels (or the lack thereof) really well.
What about the bugs?
I’ve heard this question more times than I can count, and it’s a good one. I don’t get a lot of bugs, but I have some tricks for the few that I do!
One of my favorite tricks is an indoor bug zapper. I’d never use these lights outside because they attract lots of good bugs along with the bad, but there’s no “good bugs” living inside my house. This works great on gnats, which are my biggest pest.
Insecticide with neem oil works great on pests that suck sap like aphids, white flies, spider mites and mealy bugs. It’s organic and harmless for us and for our pets, but it won’t work on any bugs that don’t feed off plant sap.
For other creepy crawlers like slugs, ants and beetles, I’ve heard people have success by sprinkling a thin layer of food-grade diatomaceous earth on top of the soil. It’s an organic powder made of fossilized algae. At a microscopic level, it’s really sharp – and that kills insects by dehydrating them when they crawl through. Always wear a mask so that you don’t get the powder in your lungs, because it can cause irritation.
Tip: Keep your plants separate from your main collection for a week or two after moving them indoors — just in case any bugs show up late.
Want more tips, follow along! You may have heard of a tree house, but my house is a house with trees – and I am constantly sharing tips on how to take care of it. Follow me on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, or X and stay tuned for plenty of Garden Guide segments to keep you warm all winter long here on News12.
Happy gardening!
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