As fall approaches your area, the sign of frost will also start to approach. When the fall and winter months approach, you know it is time to start preparing your home and the plants you have outside for the move indoors. Many plants and flowers that you have placed outside during the spring and summer months can continue to grow during the fall and winter, all you have to do is move them into your home.

Before you move any of your plants or flowers into your home, you need to make sure that you have a place to put the plants and flowers. Most of the plants and flowers that you move from the outdoors into your home will need full sunlight during the day and will need plenty of moisture. Outdoor plants thrive off of the natural moisture that is located outside of your home. When you move these plants indoors, they will start to dry out because our homes do not have the same natural environments as outside. You may need to locate a humidifier that you can place besides your plants that you have placed in the direct sunlight.

If you have small children or pets, make sure you place the plants and flowers in a place that your children and pets cannot harm the plants. Some plants may have a toxic touch to them if a child or pet chews on the plants. Keep these plants out of reach of your children and your pets. If you have babies or toddlers, place your plants in a place they cannot reach them. The smaller children can get into the soil. When the soils of your plants are tampered with, the root system may stop growing and your plant will not be able to thrive indoors.

To prepare your plants for the big move indoors, start preparing your plants a couple weeks in advance. Move the plants into the pots or vases you are going to use in your home and move the plants to a cooler place in your yard or a place that receives more shade. This will start the plants process to acclimating to the cooler and dryer temperatures that it is going to encounter. Make sure you complete this process before frost hits the area you live in.

Before you move your plants into your home, check each plant for any insects or spiders that may be living in or on your plant. Having those little insects and spiders in your home can create havoc with the other plants and flowers you already have in your home. Check each plant by looking at each leaf and at the soil. If you want to use extra precaution, there are different insect killers that you can purchase to apply to your plants. Since you are moving your plants indoors, use an insect killer that will not create any harm to you or your home.

If you are unsure what types of plants you can bring into your home, use this list to help you determine what plants to bring indoors and what ones to leave outdoors during the winter months.

• Hibiscus
• Snake Plant
• Ferns
• Small or dwarf citrus trees
• Begonia
• Cacti

The climate that you live in will also determine the amount of time you must leave your plant indoors. As spring approaches, watch the temperatures increase. If the frost season is over, start preparing your plants to be moved outside. Place them in the sunlight outside for a small amount of time each day. This will allow the plants to soak in the natural sunlight and enjoy the moisture that is in the air.