7 Tips for Preparing Plants for Cold Weather

Unfortunately, the Summer has come to an end and the colder weather is already here. I love the Fall but it is really hard for me to enjoy it when it is a constant reminder that Summer is really far away and Winter is right around the corner.

Once the weather dropped, rather suddenly I might add, I decided it was time to prepare my plants for cold weather.

7 Tips for Preparing Plants for Cold Weather

Using these 7 tips for preparing plants for cold weather you should be able to get your plants ready for the dreaded cold weather without putting them in shock.

Bring Plants in at Night & Leave Out for Day

Once the temperatures outside reach 50 degrees or less at night, you should begin the process of bringing your plants in for the season. A lot of houseplants can not survive any weather cooler than about 45 degrees.

Don’t grab a plant and just move it inside, you will need to acclimate your houseplant to the environment changes from outside to inside.

Bring Plants in for the Season

Since the light and temperature from outside to inside are dramatically different,  you must start by bringing the houseplant in at night while leaving it outside during the day. For the first few days, bring the container inside in the evening and move it back outside in the morning. Gradually, over the course of two weeks, increase the amount of time the plant spends indoors.

Plenty of Sunlight

It seems obvious that you would want your houseplants as close to a window as possible. That is the best way to guarantee enough sunlight is coming through to keep your plant thriving. There are some things to keep in mind when placing your plant in front of a window.

Finding a spot with direct sunlight can be difficult as the shadows cast by trees or other buildings in the area may move throughout the day. Monitor the area where your plant will be throughout the day to determine how much sunlight will reach it while the sunlight comes in from different directions.

Avoid Drafts

When choosing a window to place your houseplant be sure to check for drafts coming from the window. Using a temperature gauge to determine which window has the least amount of cool air seeping in will help avoid drafty areas that can hurt your plant.

Adding plastic wrap to windows can help prevent cool air from blowing on your plant or a more permanent fix would be to caulk inside the trim of your windows from the outside.

Repot The Plant

Adding new soil and repotting your plant is a good way to ensure your plant is getting proper nutrition. There are plenty of soil options that are meant for indoor plants and they are specifically mixed to help your plant thrive indoors.

Water Less

Without the Summer heat drying out your soil, you will notice your plant will require less water while indoors. Overwatering your plant can cause a lot of problems but you can avoid these issues by adding water slowly to see how much your plant will require in it’s new environment.

Always add water slowly and proceed adding water cautiously as needed. You can always add more if needed.

Store Planters Indoors

When you have transplanted your houseplants into new pots it is a good idea to store all of your planters indoors for the season. This will prevent damage from water collection that may freeze and cause your pots to crack.

Once a pot has broken and went through the cold months outdoors you may have a mess like this to clean up.

The soil sticks to your outdoor tables like glue and makes quite a mess that can be really hard to clean up. Luckily there is a product that can make clean up easy, Mean Green Super strength.

I sprayed this heavy duty cleaner on my outdoor glass tables and let it sit for a couple of minutes.

There are many uses for Mean Green Super Strength for even the toughest indoor and outdoor cleaning jobs.

As someone who loves potted plants,  having this product around to clean up all of the messes I make with soil and everything related to gardening is a big help!

Now my plants are ready for the Winter season and my outdoor furniture is mess free! Now I am free to count down the days until next Spring when I can start my garden all over again!

Have you already begun bringing your houseplants indoors for the season or are you lucky enough to live in a warmer climate where this isn’t necessary?