Can you bring annuals inside for the winter?

Author: Dr. Lenora Powlowski Sr.  |  Last update: Monday, September 25, 2023

Annuals that do well indoors during the winter are limited to Coleus, Impatiens (including New Guinea), Nasturtium, Pansy Petunia, Verbena, Wax Begonia, Lantana, and Geraniums, with Coleus and Geraniums being the easiest. Gardening is about experimenting so try any annual you'd like.

Can you keep annuals alive inside during winter?

Your annuals need lots of sunlight in order to survive the winter season, and so placing your plants in the brightest spot of your home will ensure they thrive. A windowsill that receives plenty of bright light will do!

Can you keep annuals alive inside all year?

True annuals and plants that we grow as annuals (considered tender perennials in southern regions) cannot survive cold winter temperatures. But there's no need to say farewell to these plants forever! Many “annuals” can be brought inside, even tender plants that need a winter dormancy period.

What flowers can you bring inside during winter?

Flowering plants
  • Poinsettia. The handsome poinsettia is a perennial shrub native to Mexico and Central America, where it blooms in the winter along stream banks and moist hillsides. ...
  • Cyclamen. ...
  • Christmas cactus. ...
  • Kalanchoe (Flaming Katy) ...
  • Bromeliads. ...
  • Orchids. ...
  • Anthuriums. ...
  • Snake plant.

What do you spray on plants before bringing indoors?

Alternatively, when you use an all-natural pest control solution, you can effectively debug houseplants without all the nasty chemicals and carcinogens. It's safer for you, and the earth! If you're wondering how to debug plants before bringing them in the house, look no further than insecticidal soap.

HOW AND WHEN TO BRING HOUSEPLANTS INSIDE FOR THE WINTER!

How do you debug plants before bringing them indoors?

Debugging Smaller Plants to Bring Inside
  1. Step 1: Fill a soapy bucket.
  2. Step 2: Soak and spray (if necessary)
  3. Step 3: Scoop and tidy.
  4. Step 4: Remove, rinse, repot (if necessary), and dry.
  5. Step 1: Spray neem oil.
  6. Step 2: Flush out soil.
  7. Step 3: Rinse and let drain.

How do you debug outdoor plants before bringing them indoors?

  1. When to Debug Plants to Bring Indoors.
  2. Tools and Supplies You Will Need.
  3. Before Getting Started.
  4. Step 1: Remove Insects From Soil.
  5. Step 2: Soak Your Plants in Water.
  6. Step 3: Inspect Each Plant.
  7. Step 4: Check for Spider Mites.
  8. Step 5: Spray Plants With a DIY Solution (Optional)

What do you do with potted annuals in the winter?

You can put them in a garage or shed that gets cold but doesn't freeze, ever. They will over-winter as live but semi-dormant plants. Keep the soil just moist, not letting the potting medium shrink and pull away from the pot edges.

How do you keep outdoor potted plants alive in the winter?

Take Special Precautions for Potted Plants

To protect them, you can wrap the pots in an insulating material (think burlap, old blankets, or even bubble wrap), place them close to the foundation of your house, and arrange them close together. You can also put a layer of mulch over them for added protection.

How cold is too cold for annuals?

Temperatures below 32 degrees can freeze the leaf tissue of cold-wimpy plants and turn them to mush after just a few hours. Some of the most tender annuals and veggies might not die but suffer cold-induced setbacks even when overnight lows dip below 40.

What temperature kills annuals?

Light freeze - 29° to 32° Fahrenheit will kill tender plants. Moderate freeze - 25° to 28° Fahrenheit is widely destructive to most vegetation.

Can I bring my petunias in for the winter?

Steps To Care For Petunias in Winter

The plant will need to be brought inside in the winter in colder regions. Petunias can be allowed to go dormant, or you can try to keep the plant actively growing, but be aware that it can be hard to prevent dormancy.

How do you keep potted annuals alive?

Most annuals like soil slightly and evenly moist 2 or 3 inches down. When you water, if possible, water the soil, not the plants. Many annuals, especially petunias, object to wet leaves and petals. Set the hose on the ground on a drizzle or use soaker hoses.

Can annuals be houseplants?

Some annuals have hissy fits when moved inside as a houseplant, and simply die. But others enthusiastically greet this winter greenhouse! Annual geraniums (Pelargonium) are commonly used for indoor décor, but a few others that typically do really well are coleus, impatiens (pictured), fuchsia and wax begonia.

What annuals grow best indoors?

Here's a look at the ones best suited for indoor growing.
  • Alyssum. This annual, a member of the mustard family, is delicate and fragrant. ...
  • Coleus. This annual is prized more for its foliage than for its flowers. ...
  • Geranium. ...
  • Impatiens. ...
  • Begonia.

What do you do with annuals at the end of the season?

Remove Most Annuals

In general, these plants are easy to spot because after the first hard frost, many of them, including impatiens, begonias, and coleus, have withered and turned brown. If the spent foliage and blossoms on these plants are free of mold and disease, we put them in the compost pile.

How do you prepare annuals for winter?

Continue to water annuals until freezing temperatures kill them. If your annuals are in containers, move them into a garage or other protected space when temperatures are forecast to dip into the 40s overnight. You can do this until daytime temperatures no longer rise above that threshold.

What to do with annuals before winter?

Cutting off the dead and spent foliage a few inches above the ground in the fall will not harm the plant. Remove spent annuals and seasonal vegetables. Unlike perennials, annuals do not come back from season to season so there is no reason to leave these in the ground.

Should I bring my outdoor potted plants inside for the winter?

As a general rule, tender plants should be brought in when nighttime temperatures are below 50 to 55 degrees F, even if they are hardy for your zone. A plant's roots are more exposed when planted in a container versus in the ground.

How do you bring annuals indoors?

If they are in the ground, you can dig them up, re-pot them, (make sure you bring indoors before the frost), and place in a sunny window. You can bring in Geraniums and just cut them back; but for other annuals, such as Coleus, it's better if you begin by taking stem cuttings from the plant.

Should I remove annuals before winter?

Annual cleanup

Remove all of your summer annual flowers, including their seed heads, from your flower beds. (Throw these in your compost bin.) This does more than save you time next spring. Leaving annuals in your beds over the winter will invite pests and disease as the plants decompose.

Can you use Dawn to debug plants?

It's not recommended to use dish detergent (like Dawn), laundry detergent, or hand soap (even the “natural” versions), since these soaps contain abrasive ingredients that could harm your plants. For DIY insecticide, organic pure castile liquid soap is the best solution since it's all natural and highly effective.

How do I make sure my new plants don't have bugs?

If you're bringing a plant in from outside, you may want to place it in a new pot to ensure the soil doesn't have pests. It's a good idea to isolate new plants for a few weeks when first bringing them into your home. Check them weekly to make sure they aren't infested.

Can outdoor plants survive indoors?

Yet in reality, any plant can grow anywhere as long as it gets the right amount of light, water, and temperature. This means that many plants we currently think of only as “outdoor” plants, will do great inside our home, while others we think of as house-dwellers will live outside happily.

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