Source: Emma Bruder, University of Minnesota Extension, Horticulture Intern, Wright, McLeod, and Meeker Counties, brude083@umn.edu, (612)-394-6302
Despite Minnesota’s frigid winters, summers here can be great for helping your houseplants flourish! By moving them outdoors, your plants will be provided with increased light levels and fresh air to aid in producing new growth. Summer rains will also wash off any dust that has accumulated on the leaves, which will allow the plant to optimize its light intake for photosynthesis.
All of these benefits can get you some amazing foliage, but there are important things to keep in mind before you move your plants outside. Firstly, you should prepare the plant. Once you’ve decided which plants you’ll move, you should re-pot them into pots that are one or two sizes larger than what they are currently in. This will give your plant more room to grow its root system and avoid becoming excessively root-bound (this is when the roots become tightly compact due to limited space). Additionally, try to select heavy pots made from ceramic or metal to add stability and prevent any tipping under windy conditions. While you’re working on repotting, you can also consider some light pruning. With ideal outdoor conditions, your plants will quickly recover. Depending on the plant, you can even use this as an opportunity to cut and propagate pieces into new plants. After all of this preparation, your plant is ready to go outside as long as the temperature is steadily above 50°F.
When choosing where to place your plants, it is best to place them in a shaded spot. Indoors, plants receive only a fraction of the light that there is outside. This is fine, as many houseplants are tropical understory plants, meaning they wouldn’t receive much light in their natural ecosystem. This being said, placing your plant immediately into bright outdoor light can cause the leaves to burn and potentially kill the plant. To avoid this, you can acclimate your plants. Start with placing your plants in full shade (or cover them with some cloth if a shaded area isn’t available), then slowly introduce them to more light over the next couple of weeks. Watch your plants for any burning or discoloration during this time, as this could mean the plant is receiving too much light or that the move was too stressful.
Once your plants are outside, be mindful of rainfall and sprinklers to not overwater them. Manually water your plants whenever the soil is dry to the touch. With outdoor conditions, your plants will likely put out lots of new growth, so fertilize regularly to support the health of your plants.
Come autumn, temperatures will begin dropping below 50°F, and this is the time to bring your plants back inside. Check for insects such as aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, and even ants. Remove any insects to avoid an infestation with your other indoor plants. It may be a good idea to keep the plants in quarantine for a few weeks to ensure there are no pests. Once they’re inside, place your plants in a sunny location and avoid excessive pruning since this may cause additional stress.