Should you bring your houseplants outdoors this spring and summer? Absolutely! They will grow abundantly with more time in the warmer, sunnier weather and with extended exposure to daylight energy. But be careful to do it thoughtfully, otherwise you risk doing more harm than good!
Three tips for bringing your houseplants outdoors:
1. Timing
The ideal time to bring your houseplants outdoors depends on the type of houseplant but in general, once the nighttime temps are consistently above 50º Fahrenheit (10º celsius) it’s safe to bring them outdoors. And after decades of caring for plants indoors and out, I've come to mentally divide houseplants into three basic groups: delicate, tolerant, and hardy.
Tropical and subtropical houseplants are delicate. A short list includes: philodendron, anthurium, bird of paradise, monstera, birds nest fern, palms, alocasia, calathea, bromeliad, dieffenbachia, ficus, dracaena, money tree, staghorn fern, and orchids. These are houseplants that will respond poorly if brought out too early. Just imagine their natural environment of lush, humid landscapes filled with singing birds, buzzing cicadas and chirping frogs then imagine it getting frosty, not ideal!
Succulents are more tolerant. I consider succulents as falling somewhere between tropicals and cactus when it comes to temperature hardiness. If allowed time to adjust, say over the period of a few weeks to a month, succulents can handle occasional night time temps that dip into the high 30's and flourish in daytime temps between 75-90º fahrenheit (23-32º celcius). Succulent types I place into this category are: sedum, echeveria, jade, kalancho, aloe, peperomia, senecio, money plant (pilea), christmas/easter/thanksgiving cactus, mother of thousands, hoya, haworthia, rhipsalis, lithops, pachyphytum (moonstones), star cactus (astrophytum) gasteria, epiphyllum and pickle plant, to name just a few!
Cactus are hardy(ish). When it comes to temperature extremes, these houseplants are the toughest! They are the first to go outside in the early spring, and the last to come inside when the fall chill sets in. Although NOT technically cactus, I consider these houseplants among my hardiest: euphorbia, sempervivium (hens and chicks), agave, and yucca. Then we have the true cactus types like: opuntia (prickly pear), barrel, old man, rattail, pincushion and saguaro, to name just a few.
Cacti thrive in dry, often windy landscape where temps can soar from 25º F in the predawn morning, to 100º F by late afternoon. I had an agave ovatifolia and a yucca ihere in Portland, Oregon and both have survived weeks under a blanket of snow and ice!
2. Plant Placement
Plants get sunburned too! Although it's tempting to place plants where they look pretty, I encourage you to keep them in a shaded location for the first few weeks to acclimate, otherwise you risk sunburn and unnecessarily stress.
Tropicals want a bit more shade but will enjoy the less intense morning or late day sunlight too. Consider the tree canopy they generally grow beneath, those towering palm, banyan, breadfruit, banana, mangrove, pine, eucalyptus, and giant bird of paradise trees provide an umbrella from direct sunlight.
When we think succulents and cacti we think SUN lovers, right? Well, too much of a good thing is, well, not a good thing. For most succulents, just a few hours of direct sunlight is all they need, and cactus can handle between 2-4 hours, but exposure to full, direct sunlight after being indoors all year can burn them. While they will make a comeback with proper care, those scorched leaves will never recover. When the leaf tissue is exposed to high-intensity light or UV rays the damage is irreversible. If you are unsure, look for leaves turning pale yellow or white, these are getting sunburned. Move your plant to a shady location and water it deeply with Sacred Soil Tonic to prevent dehydration. Give it a few weeks to green up again and slowly introduce it to more sunlight.
3. Hydration
Weather from late spring to early fall tends to be much warmer and drier outside than indoors, so your plants need more frequent water and nutrient infusions. We recommend feeding your plants during this optimal growing season to put that light energy to work and growing your plants! Sacred Soil Tonic provides plant powered nourishment and the boost of energy your plant needs to explode with new growth! Add our concentrated tonic to your watering routine every week and watch how your plants take off.
During the fall, when temps drop again, before bringing your plants back indoors, be sure to apply our Sacred Leaf Tonic to all surfaces of your plants, including the pots and topsoil! This aids in preventing any unwanted pests from hitching a ride inside. Check out our tips for bringing plants back indoors in our blog post here.
Happy growing!
Karina and Team SE