Can You Take A Houseplant Outdoors?

The majority of people who keep houseplants have at some point experimented with moving their plants outside. It’s possible that your plant wasn’t doing so well, so you chose to move it outside since you thought to yourself, “Plants normally live outside; maybe this would help my plant become healthy again.” You’ve undoubtedly already learned that the majority of houseplants are referred to as houseplants because they cannot survive outside the home.

But what causes this, and are there any notable exceptions to the rule? Are there any kind of houseplants that can be grown outside? Because the response to this question is not a straightforward yes or no, but rather a “it depends,” we are going to focus on this topic as we move through the rest of this article.

There are specific circumstances in which you are permitted to move your houseplants outside; the following is a summary of some of such circumstances:

You live in a climate comparable to the plant’s native habitat.
Your houseplant is winter resilient.
It’s summer, and the weather is nice.

We are going to go over each of these scenarios, and we will determine whether or not they apply to you. If it does, there is a chance that you will be able to move your houseplants outside. If none of these apply to your current circumstances, you are unable to move your houseplant outside, and if you do so, it is quite possible that the plant will perish. In addition to that, we will discuss other options to relocating houseplants to outdoor spaces.

Table of Contents

The natural habitat of the plant

If you reside in an environment that has a climate that is very similar to the environment in which your houseplant normally grows, then there is a good probability that you will be able to successfully move your houseplant outside without any complications.

Your houseplant will have little trouble adjusting to life outside and may not even need to go through the process of acclimating to its new surroundings. If you reside in a climate comparable to your plant’s native home, it may even thrive better outside. It will feel like at home, and there is a good probability that it will flourish in the fresh air.

The following are some examples of climates that are somewhat comparable to those found in the native habitat of the houseplant:

If you reside in a tropical climate, you may grow Alocasias, Monsteras, and Philodendrons outdoors.

You reside in a desert: Outside, you are able to grow plants like cactus and succulents.
If you are a resident of the Mediterranean region, you may grow spider plants and Ficus trees outside.

Clearly, the kinds of plants that can be grown outdoors depend on where you reside. If you reside in a region that is warm but also very dry, you may still be able to grow tropical plants outside of your home. However, you will need to water your plants quite frequently in order to ensure that they receive a sufficient amount of moisture.

If you live in the native habitat of your plant, you won’t have to do anything to take care of it since the environment will do it for you. If you do not live in the natural habitat of your plant, you will have to.

Winter-resistant plants

If you reside in a region with a cold temperature, such as Northern Europe, the northern portion of the United States and Canada, or in the Southern hemisphere sections of South America, it is far too cold for tropical plants to be grown outside, particularly during the winter months. However, this does not always indicate that you cannot relocate any of your indoor plants to an outdoor location.

You won’t run into any issues relocating your indoor plants to the garden in the winter if they are winter hardy, which means they can withstand temperatures as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you bring any plants that are not hardy in the winter outdoors during the spring, autumn (fall), or winter months, the temperature outside will be too low for them, and as a result, your houseplants will most likely die. On the warmest days of the summer, you may be able to move some of your houseplants outside, but this is the only opportunity that presents itself.

On the other hand, bringing your plants inside for the winter is a smart option if you reside in a region with a cooler climate. Instead of taking the chance of bringing your plant outside, it is safer to keep it inside, where you have complete control over its environment.

Taking plants outside in the summer

If you live in a cooler region, the only time of year when you have a chance of successfully transporting your houseplants outdoors is on a hot summer day. Even if you are able to do so, the question “Can you bring your houseplant outdoors?” does not have a certain “Yes!” response.

The weather on that particular summer day will determine whether or not you can move your indoor plant outside to enjoy the warm weather. If you want to put a succulent outside so that it can soak up some rays, you must first ensure that the weather will not be rainy on that particular day. Rainfall in little amounts is not an issue; but, if it rains all day, your succulent will receive an excessive amount of water.

This, however, would be an ideal scenario for a Monstera. It thrives in conditions of high heat and humidity. As long as you have enough drainage, your Monstera should be alright outside during this period. Simply make sure that it is moved indoors before the sun goes down since that is when the temperature will begin to drop significantly.

Alternatives to moving your plants outside

There are a number compelling arguments in favor of moving your plants outside, including the following:

Taking your plants outside to obtain more sunshine
Taking your plant outside can help you get rid of any pests.
Taking your plant outside so it may get some rainwater

However, these are not the only ways to provide assistance to your plants. To provide your plants a decent quantity of sunshine, you may arrange them closer to a southern facing window (northern hemisphere) and a northern facing window (southern hemisphere).

One of the most major benefits of moving your plants outside is the reduction in the number of pests they attract. You do not, however, have any other choices if you are unable to since you do not live in the appropriate climate or because the weather is not ideal where you are.

By carefully following the instructions provided in articles such as “How to get rid of spider mites on your houseplants” and others, you may eliminate a wide variety of pests that have taken up residence on your houseplants.

It’s possible that moving your houseplants outside in an effort to get rid of pests would cause your plants more harm than the pests ever did. It is thus recommended that you treat your plant indoors and give it some time to recuperate. Your plant may suffer from shock if you move it outside, and there is a decreased chance that it will ever fully recover as a result.

It can seem like a good idea to move your plant outside so it can collect rainfall, but doing so puts it in harm’s way more than it needs to. If you wish to water your plants with rainwater, collect it in a rain collecting system, let it stay in your house for at least a day to reach room temperature, and then water your plants using a watering can.

It’s possible that the rainwater that falls from the sky is too chilly for your plants to use. The delicate roots of your plants might suffer damage and develop root rot as a result of this. When you leave your plant outside in the rain, there is no effective way to control the amount of water it receives since there is no way to govern how long it is exposed to the elements.

If you have good drainage, you can get away with doing this, but it will be much simpler if you just use a watering can to water your plant.

Conclusion

It may sound like a good plan to move your houseplants outside, but the answer to the question of whether or not you should really carry it out is not always cut and dry. Before you decide to move your houseplant outside, there are a lot of questions you need to ask yourself, such as: do I live in a climate that is comparable to the natural habitat of my plant? Can my plant survive in colder temperatures? Is the environment warm enough, and is it dry enough or humid enough?

It is not always necessary to move your houseplants outside, even if you have the ability to do so.

There are many things you may do to assist your plant that do not entail taking it outside for a predetermined amount of time. These things can be quite helpful.

I appreciate you taking the time to read my article. I really hope that this information is of use to you in maintaining the health and beauty of your plants.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you bring houseplants outdoors?

It is dependent on the native habitat of the houseplant you have as well as the location in which you live. When these two conditions are met, you will be able to move your houseplants outside. If not, you should probably refrain from doing so because it may be harmful to your plant.

Should I bring my houseplants outdoors to get rid of pests?

Even if you want to get rid of pests, it is not in your best interest to leave your houseplant outside. If you want to get rid of pests within your home, treat your houseplants with neem oil and/or soapy water. It’s possible that exposing your houseplants to the elements will cause more damage to your plants than the bugs ever could.

Can you bring houseplants outdoors in the summer?

If it is a hot and dry summer day, it is possible that putting your houseplants outside will not be detrimental to their health. You are able to do this in order to provide them with additional sunlight or warmth. On the other hand, you can also provide them with more sunlight and warmth by placing them on a window sill in a well-lit room.

Photo by Mark Neal: https://www.pexels.com/photo/plants-in-pot-on-wall-2431830/