Send your houseplants on a summer holiday outside

Start plants off in the shade before moving them to a sunnier spot. Photograph: Jane Perrone.

The month of May is marked by the great houseplant hokey cokey - moving indoor plants in-out, in-out as I acquaint them with their summer quarters, repot, reorganise, clean shelves and take cuttings. 

Here are my tips on how to make this process as painless as possible.  

🌴 When it comes to deciding when plants can go outside full time, it's the minimum night time temperature you need to observe, rather than the daytime highs. Cacti and succulents will be OK with temperatures as low as 10C (50F) - other foliage plants may need a few degrees more to be comfortable. 

🌴 Painful though it is to have to constantly rearrange plants in their outside locations once you've shifted them outside, it's advisable to gradually "harden off" plant to light levels and draughts, which will be much higher outside. Start them in full shade next to the shelter of a wall, and gradually move them to their final location: or use horticultural fleece to cover them while they adapt. 

🌴 Make sure cover/cache pots and saucers are removed so water doesn't end up pooling in the pot to cause root rot. 

🌴 Lightweight plastic nursery pots often leave a plant top heavy when the cache pot is removed - use some large stones rested on the surface of the substrate as a counterbalance to prevent plants falling over in the wind. This will also help to prevent the substrate from being spilled or blown away when it's dry, and act as a bit of a mulch.

🌴 While plants are outside, take advantage of the chance to spray them down regularly - this will remove dust buildup and also help to deal with stubborn pest infestations. 

🌴 Other pests can be an issue when plants are outside, including vine weevil and slugs. Checking your plants in the late evening when these creatures are active will help you spot problems quickly. 

This blogpost was taken from The Plant Ledger, my email newsletter about the houseplant scene. You can read the rest of the newsletter here.

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