Summary: Some plants that have enjoyed and in some cases endured the heat of summer can be brought indoors where they can beautify your home, keep indoor air cleaner and be a reminder of the days of summer. Garden plants become house plants when enough light is available to keep them happy.
There are a few plants in the garden that I dig up every fall and bring indoors until the weather warms again next spring. The fourteen year old lavender topiary came from a cutting I took of a plant I had started from seed but had to leave behind when I moved from central Ohio to Tuscarawas County.
The bay laurel tree is now three feet tall and produces enough new leaves to flavor soups, sauces and stews for the entire year.
These plants are more sentimental than anything else and so the task of digging them up and repotting in progressively larger pots each fall has become a ritual.
The south facing sunroom on the back of the house doesnt get as much natural light as the lavender and bay prefer but somehow I manage to keep them alive throughout the winter without supplemental lighting.
The cats find these plants quite interesting especially when they are first brought in still smelling of butterflies, bees and chipmunks. Precautions need to be taken to keep them from digging in the soil or using the large pots as a place to nap.
I was so enamored with the sweet potato vines this summer I am have taken cuttings to root indoors. Simply placing the cutting in a vase or jar of fresh water was all it took and it wasnt long before strong, healthy roots appeared. They can now be placed in pots of soilless seed-starting mix. The chartreuse color will be a reminder of the warm days of summer and the hope of spring as the landscape turns to grey in the coming weeks.
When deciding to bring plants indoors do so gradually. They will adjust to the temperature and humidity of the home more easily if you bring them in before the furnace comes on. Begin by moving full sun plants to an area that receives only filtered light. Gradually move the plant to a shady area and keep it there for a few days. The whole process can take about two or three weeks but your plants will appreciate your efforts.
Plants that require full sun outdoors do so as well when brought indoors. Be realistic. If you dont have the adequate light and space it is fruitless to try to save every plant that wont survive an Ohio winter outdoors. South facing windows get the most light and almost all plants enjoy the warmth and light that comes from an east window as the sun rises each morning.
There is no need to fertilize plants brought indoors over the winter. In most cases it will do more harm than good. Wait until early spring to begin regular feedings.
The transition from an outdoor to an indoor environment is not easy on plants and some leaf yellowing or even leaf loss might occur. Dont let your plants unpleasant appearance bother you so much. Just having plants indoors improves air quality and can make people calmer and more optimistic and who doesnt want to be more optimistic?
Winter, after all, is just around the bend.
