Do you put all of your houseplants out for the summer?

Are there any certain rules you follow when you do?

IF I put them out in the summer the first thing is under the shade tree to get use to the sun and the wind. Each week a lil more sun till finally they can stand the REAL sun without the window being between them!!! :)

All my plants were outside decorating my porch last summer. I hope to put them back this year as soon as I'm comfortable that the weather won't turn too cold anymore.

they go to porch first then to shady places in garden .

I have a bench I built from cinderblocks and a 2x8x10' board. My houseplants go out on to this when I am sure we are frost free. it is on an eastern exposure so only gets morning to noon sun. I put jade plants and other succulents out under a maple tree we have in our yard. They gradually get moved out over the course of a couple of weeks to various other spots in the yard with lots of sun. The jades love this as they set bud in the fall and bloom in November when they get taken back in. I have crown of thorns, asparagus fern, lots of geraniums, scented and regular, and the jade plants. I have a giant davallia which goes out there and a couple of other ferns that go under the tree. There are also the 8 hibiscus and the orchid cacti. I hang the christmas and orchid cacti from my formerly the kid's swingset now my arbor for the summer. they get full sun there.The smaller hibiscus like the heat from our brown deck and bloom like crazy all summer. the 4 footer trained as a standard has its own corner of one of my south facing flower beds.The only things that stay in are one small clivia and my african violets. everything else that can possibly go out goes out because by spring, it has gotten kind of tight inside my house with the plants. I put the mini geraniums and smaller succulents on their own chairs. I have a collection of small or doll chairs that the plants sit on. Oh, dear, I seem to be rambling. isn't spring here yet?

I think it depends on the type of house plant. I have a rubber plant I'll put out earlier than my alocasias. A better way to guage it is to know the minimum temp your plants can take and put them out only after night temps are above that.

The only downside of taking them out is that you have to take extreme care to make sure you spray them with insecticidal soap or something to kill any insects that wish to find a warm winter home when they come back in. I usually quarantine them for a couple of weeks and give them a couple of baths and a couple of sprays....then watch them like a hawk!

I agree. All of my plants I brought in to overwinter had all sorts of critters living in the soil and on the plants, including multiple slugs. When I bring them in again, I'm just going to change the soil and wash down the plant do I don't have deal with all of the chemicals. Having a hard enough time fighting the spider mites as it is. Have to take about 15 plants outside this weekend and spray them down with Kelthane. :(

I put them outside for a little while when it first gets warm and give them a bath after being in for the winter. I use one teaspoon of dish soap to a quart of water. You spray the leaves and stems with this solution in a mister. Next hose them down to rinse them. DON'tT do this in the sun. Leave them in a shaded area til they are dry or if it warm enough, slowly introduce them to the sun st least semi-sun because it's been my experience that the sun burns most of the leaves, even those that can stand direct light.

Mine go out in the summer for my sanity. I than clean up all the hidden mess they leave behind. Leaves, bits of dirt etc.

I put the majority of house plants outdoors for the summer. Most plant seem to enjoy the fresh air and abundant sunshine of the summer. I also know that the majority of the tropicals don't like night temperatures below 50F. degrees .So most sensitive tropicals like phillodendron, palms, and bananas need to be covered or brought in when temps go below 50.
I should add the majority of tropicals cannot tollerate frost damage. So it is a good idea to
keep vigilant of the weather reports especially earlier and later in the season to know if frost is possible.

This message was edited Mar 21, 2005 12:26 AM