Houseplants and other warm weather plants that have spent the summer vacationing outside will need to be back indoors before the night time temperature drops to 50 degrees. Some hardy plants can stay out until the temperature drops to 40 degrees, but if you leave them out and it gets colder than that, they may go into shock, get frost burn and eventually die.

Bringing in your house plants before it gets too cold out will help your plants avoid the shock of sudden changes in  temperature, humidity and light.

Here are a few tips to help your plants adjust to living indoors again:

Before bringing in your plants:

• Clean your windows inside and out. Clean windows let in more sunlight.
• Move plants in the shade about 2 weeks before bringing them indoors. This will help prepare them for the drop in light in your home. Once inside your house your houseplants may have some yellowing leaves or dropping leaves from not having enough light. You may need to add light from a fluorescent glow light.
• Soak your pots up to their rims in a tub full of lukewarm water to force insects like ants, sow bugs, millipedes, and ground beetles to the surface. Insects that are living in the soil will either drown or float to the surface so you can remove them.
• Inspect for other insects. Other insects like aphids, spider mites, scales and slugs will be happily living in the foliage of your plant. Inspect the foliage thoroughly. Wash the plants leaves carefully with water before bringing the plant inside. You could also use
  Plant Guardian Houseplant Insecticidal Soap to wash off the leaves.
• Stop fertilizing. Most plants need a rest period, or dormancy. Fertilizing when plants aren’t actively growing results in a buildup of fertilizer salts in the soil that can damage plant roots.
• Don’t over water You probably watered your container plants every day during the summer but indoors they will not require that much water. Let the soil surface get dry to the touch before watering.

Plants that have outgrown their pots over their summer vacation will need to be re-potted.

To check for crowded roots, turn the pot upside down while supporting the plant with one hand on the surface of the soil. Ease the plant out of the pot. You may need to give the bottom of the pot a few taps to loosen the root ball.  If there is a mass of roots and very little soil, then you will need to repot into a larger container. If the root ball looks good but there is a heavy top growth you may want to prune the top.

Add Pot Stickers to your new and old pots to help keep insect infestations to a minimum.

Got any tips for your fellow gardeners? Click here to Contact BornToGarden.com and share your best tips with our community!

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If you’re looking for information about what type of container to grow your bonsai in, or what kind of soil is best, or which fertilizer will help your bonsai grow, our new page is just for you. You’ll also find lots of information about wiring bonsai trees, propagation and pruning bonsai trees, and even some historical information about the bonsai tradition.

You’ll find the answers to questions like:

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Mowing your lawn correctly will lead to a healthier, nicer looking lawn that will help you cut down on your watering, fertilizing and weed control.

Here are some tips to help you mow your lawn properly.

Keep mower blades sharp.

Sharpen your lawn mower blades regularly. Dull blades will rip and tear the grass leaving frayed tips. Sharp blades will give the grass a cleaner cut and will help the lawn resist disease and stress. Inspect the mower blade frequently.
 
Wait for lawn to dry before mowing.

Wet grass can stick to lawn mower blades,
preventing blades from making sharp cuts.
Mowing wet grass also encourages disease.

Change your mowing pattern.

Cut your lawn in a different direction each time you mow. Changing your mowing pattern will help keep your grass to grow straighter and help prevent the grass from matting down. For example: mow your lawn east to west one week then north to south the next.

 
Don’t cut your lawn too short

Don’t cut more than one-third of the grass height in any one mowing. Taller grass has more area on the leaves to gather energy from the sun and will develop a deeper healthy root system. It will also shade the ground keeping the soil cooler and prevent weed seeds from germinating. If you mow your lawn too short, more light will reach the soil giving the weed seeds a chance to sprout. When your lawn is too short, it will be less drought tolerant. 

 
Leave grass clippings on the lawn.

If you have a mulching blade on your lawn mower leave the grass clippings on the lawn.
The grass clippings will slowly breakdown adding nutrients to the soil and reducing the need for fertilizer. Clumps of clippings will need to be raked to thin them out or you can mow over that section again to distribute the clippings evenly. Leaving your grass clippings on the lawn should not contribute to thatch buildup. 

 
Watering your lawn.

The best time to water your lawn is in the early morning. The wind and heat are usually less in the morning and the most water will reach your lawn and get soaked in to the ground instead of evaporating. Watering your lawn late in the day or evening will not harm your grass but might increase the chance of disease because your grass may remain wet all night.

Watering your lawn for a longer period of time and letting the soil dry out between watering will encourage the grass roots to grow deeply. Deep rooted grass has a better chance of withstanding a dry spell. Since weeds are usually at the surface of the soil this will prevent the weed seeds from germinating.

 
Mowing your grass properly is an important part of maintaining a healthy beautiful lawn. Make sure to read and follow all the manufactures operation safety tips for your mower.