Open Grow Guide

Houseplants outdoors for summer

By Open Grow Guide Updated

Spending the summer outdoors is something you can plan for most houseplants. Move them outside once nighttime temperatures are consistently at least 60°F (16°C). Begin in deep shade and shift to brighter spots over several days, because direct sun right away burns leaves. Outdoors, plants need water and fertilizer more often than they do indoors. Before the plant returns inside, check it for pests and examine its soil. Then keep it apart from your other plants for a couple of weeks. The steps below follow that order from the first move to the final return.

When: Late spring and early fall (May–Sep)

When to do it

Wait for warm nights before you move anything outside. Houseplants can go out for the summer once nighttime temperatures are consistently at least 60°F (16°C). If you want to move plants out earlier, wait until after your last frost. Temperatures of 50°F (10°C) or lower can damage many tropical plants. Palms show cold damage as reddish-brown dead areas on the leaves, usually at or below 45°F (7°C). At first, bring plants out on warm days and back inside at night instead of leaving them out full-time. Bring plants back indoors when outside and inside temperatures are about the same. Do this before the home's heat is turned on, so they can readjust to life indoors first.

What you need

A pot with a drainage hole is the first item to gather. If your plant's pot has none, use one that does for the summer. Pot feet or bricks raise each container so it drains well. Skip any saucer that will hold water, because too much water can cause root rot. A shaded spot, such as under a tree, suits the first few days outdoors. Choose a final location that matches the plant. Succulents and cacti suit full sun, while ferns, philodendrons, pothos, and snake plants suit half sun to full shade. Fertilizer is needed more often outdoors. For pests, keep a contact insecticide, an all-purpose insecticide, or insecticidal soap on hand. Read the pesticide label to confirm that indoor use is allowed. A space away from your other houseplants is useful for quarantine when the plant returns.

Step by step

  1. Step 1

    Wait for warm, stable nights before you move plants outside

    Most houseplants are ready once nighttime temperatures stay at 60°F (16°C) or higher, and if you start earlier, wait until after your last frost, since 50°F (10°C) or colder can damage many tropical plants.

  2. Step 2

    Ease plants into life outdoors instead of leaving them out right away

    For the first stretch, carry them outside on warm days and bring them back in at night rather than leaving them out around the clock.

  3. Step 3

    Check that each pot has a drainage hole

    If a pot has no drainage hole, move the plant into one that does before its summer outdoors.

  4. Step 4

    Choose a sheltered, shaded spot for the first days outside

    Keep the plant out of direct sun and away from wind, and place most plants in deep shade, such as under a tree, for the first few days.

  5. Step 5

    Move the plant to a slightly sunnier spot once it has had a few days in shade

    Keep it there for a few more days before moving it to its final summer location.

  6. Step 6

    Move the plant to its permanent summer spot

    Wait until it has regained its stem strength before giving it its usual full-sun summer spot.

  7. Step 7

    Give succulents and cacti a full-sun spot outdoors

    Most succulents and cacti tolerate full sun and prefer the most direct sunlight you can give them.

  8. Step 8

    Give leafy plants a shadier spot outdoors

    Ferns, philodendrons, pothos, and snake plants do best with half sun to full shade.

  9. Step 9

    Set up the outdoor spot for good drainage and airflow

    Keep pots out of drying winds but where they will catch rain, and raise them on pot feet or bricks so water drains well.

  10. Step 10

    Water more often than you do indoors

    Outdoor plants grow faster, and in the heat of summer you may need to water daily if rainfall isn't enough.

  11. Step 11

    Fertilize more often to match faster outdoor growth

    Plants grow more rapidly outdoors than indoors, so feed them more often during the summer than you would inside.

  12. Step 12

    Use the time outside to get ahead of hard-to-control pests

    Spider mites are among the hardest insects to control indoors, so outdoor time is a good chance to manage them.

  13. Step 13

    Treat pest outbreaks outdoors with a contact insecticide

    If aphid or spider mite populations explode while plants are outside, use a contact insecticide to treat them.

  14. Step 14

    Check plants again for pests before bringing them back indoors

    Look for aphids, which are tiny and often pale green and cluster on the undersides of leaves. Check for mealybugs, which have a white, cottony coating, and mites, which are hard to see without magnification. Also check the root ball for pillbugs, millipedes, and slugs, and look under leaves for moth or butterfly eggs.

  15. Step 15

    Slide the plant out of its pot for a closer look

    Most pests turn up on the outside of the root ball, so check there before the plant goes back inside.

  16. Step 16

    Treat with an all-purpose insecticide before the move indoors

    Apply it a few weeks before the plant needs to come in, and spray outdoors in the shade during mild temperatures for safety.

  17. Step 17

    Confirm the product is labeled for indoor use

    Check that the pesticide label allows indoor use, and wait until the foliage is completely dry before bringing the plant back inside.

  18. Step 18

    Let pots drain and dry, then spray with insecticidal soap

    Allow pots to drain and dry thoroughly before bringing them indoors. Spray the whole plant - upper and lower leaf surfaces, soil, and pot - with insecticidal soap. Reapply the soap and bring the plant indoors two to three days later.

  19. Step 19

    Time the move indoors for similar temperatures

    Bring plants in when the temperature outside and inside your home are about the same.

  20. Step 20

    Bring plants in before you turn on the home's heat

    Doing this first gives plants a chance to readjust to indoor life before the heat comes on.

  21. Step 21

    Reduce light gradually before the final move indoors

    If a plant has been in full sun, move it from sun to light shade to heavy shade over several days. Expect some leaf yellowing or drop once it's inside, as it adjusts to lower light.

  22. Step 22

    Quarantine the plant away from your other houseplants

    Keep it separate and watch it for a couple of weeks to make sure it carries no pests that could spread.

  23. Step 23

    Give palms special care outdoors

    Keep palms in indirect sunlight for the whole time they are outside. Watch for cold damage, which shows as reddish-brown dead areas on the leaves, usually at 45°F (7°C) or lower.

Mistakes to avoid

Putting a plant in full sun or a windy location right away is a mistake. A plant moved immediately into direct sunlight will burn and can become severely damaged. Direct sunlight right away will burn the leaves, and that is true even for succulents. Another mistake is setting a container in a saucer that will hold water. Too much water can cause root rot. Some plants hold insecticidal soap solution on their leaf surfaces, which may cause burning. Symptoms may take seven to ten days to appear. Spraying is most safely done outdoors in the shade and during mild temperatures. Foliage should be completely dry before the plant comes back indoors. Pests can also be missed if you skip the root ball, because most pests are found on its exterior. Once indoors, expect leaf yellowing or drop as the plant adjusts to lower light. On palms, cold damage appears as reddish-brown dead areas on the leaves.

How this page was made

  • Written with AI assistance from the sources listed on this page. AI is never the source of a fact.

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