🌿 Thinking About Moving Your Houseplants Outside? Read This First.

In spring, we often get asked:

“Can I put my houseplants outside for the summer?”

Short answer: yes… but also… we usually don’t recommend it.

Let’s break down why—and if you’re going to do it anyway, how to do it without shocking your plants into a full meltdown.

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🌱 Why We Generally Don’t Advise It

Indoor plants are basically pampered. They’ve been living their best life in:

• Stable temperatures
• Filtered light
• No wind
• No pests (usually)
• Controlled watering

Moving them outside is like dropping someone from a spa into the wilderness.

Common problems we see:

• ☀️ Sunburn (this is the big one)
• 🐛 Pests (aphids, mites, thrips… all the hits)
• 💨 Wind damage
• 🌧️ Overwatering from rain
• 😬 Stress from constant change

And here’s the kicker:
When you bring them back inside, you often bring all those problems with them.

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🌤️ If You’re Going To Do It Anyway… Do It Right

We get it—sometimes you just want that lush patio vibe. If you’re committed, here’s how to minimize damage:

1. Start in Full Shade

No “morning sun” optimism here.

• Covered porch = ideal
• Under a tree = good
• Direct sun = absolutely not (at first)

Even “low light” indoors is nothing like outdoor light.

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2. Acclimate Slowly (Over 1–2 Weeks)

Think of this as plant sunscreen training.

• Week 1: Full shade only
• Week 2: Maybe a little early morning light
• After that: Only certain plants can handle more

If you skip this step, you will get crispy leaves.

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3. Watch Watering Closely

Outdoor plants dry out faster—but also get rained on.

• Check soil more often
• Make sure pots drain well
• Don’t assume rain = properly watered

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4. Expect Some Damage Anyway

Even if you do everything right:

• Some leaf drop = normal
• Some cosmetic damage = likely

Plants are adaptable, but they don’t love change.

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5. Inspect Before Bringing Back Inside

This step is non-negotiable.

Before or temperature drops:

• Check under leaves
• Look for webbing, dots, sticky residue
• Consider a preventative treatment

Otherwise… congrats, your whole house just got pests.

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🌿 Which Plants Handle It Best?

Some plants are tougher than others:

More forgiving:

• Snake plants
• Alocasia (Elephant Ear)
• Cactus
• Succulents

More sensitive:

• Calatheas
• Ferns (can go either way, but drama is likely)
• Anything already struggling indoors

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🪴 Our Honest Take

If your plant is happy inside…

👉 Leave it alone.

You’re not missing out on some secret growth hack. Most of the time, the “benefits” of moving plants outside are outweighed by the stress and risk.

That said—if you want to experiment, go for it. Just go in knowing it’s a bit of a gamble.

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🌱 Need Help Deciding?

Shoot us a photo—we’ll tell you straight up whether it’s a good candidate or not.

We’d rather keep your plant thriving than help you rehab it later 😉