Many people choose to bring their houseplants outside during the summer to bask in the sunshine and humidity… but, how do you bring plants back indoors without the bugs!?
In this post, I’ll show you exactly how to debug plants to bring indoors for the winter, step-by-step.
Summer is a wonderful time for growing plants. Indoor plants really benefit from being outside for a change but, when fall comes and it’s time to bring your houseplants inside for the winter, things can get ugly.
Two things that will help you avoid major problems with your plants later on are knowing when to bring houseplants inside, and also how to bring plants indoors without bugs.
It’s important to take a few steps to ensure the transition is painless for both you and your plants, and avoid bringing bugs and houseplant pests indoors.
When To Bring Plants Inside
One of the most common questions I get from readers is when should I bring my plants inside for the winter?
You should bring your plants inside before nighttime temperatures dip below 60°F (15.5°C). Anything below 50°F (10°C) can cause damage to tender houseplants.
So plan to start bringing your houseplants back inside several weeks before cooler weather hits in the fall.
If indoor plants are left outside for too long, cold weather could trigger them to drop their leaves.
Or worse, it could kill the plant.
Plus, the transition of bringing outdoor plants inside will be more of a shock to them if they are left outside too long when the weather starts to cool down in the fall.
A good rule of thumb for when to bring houseplants in for winter is at least two weeks before your average first frost date.
Tips For Bringing Plants Inside For Winter
If you have a lot of houseplants growing outdoors, I recommend bringing plants back indoors in small batches.
Trying to do a marathon weekend of debugging and moving plants back inside can be very stressful and exhausting for you (and hard on your back!).
Trust me, I know.
Also, if you discover that a houseplant is pot-bound, repot it into a larger container before moving it inside. That way the mess will stay outside.
Debugging and cleaning potted plants before bringing them back inside is a crucial step to avoid houseplant bug problems.
Aphids, mealybugs and other types of houseplant insect pests aren’t normally a problem when potted indoor plants are outside.
But they can quickly turn into a major infestation during the winter if they are brought inside on your houseplants.
How To Debug Plants To Bring Indoors – Step-by-Step
Debugging and cleaning potted plants before bringing them inside for the winter sounds harder than it really is.
There are a few simple steps you can take to ensure your houseplants are bug-free before bringing them back indoors in the fall.
(Caution: Only use this method to debug plants that are growing in pots with drainage holes! For those without drainage holes, follow my tips for debugging a plant that’s too large to soak below.)
Supplies Needed:
- Large utility tub
- Mild liquid soap
- Large kitchen strainer
- Flower pot scrub brush
- Spray bottle
- Neem oil
- Wash bucket
- Old towels
Step 1: Fill tub with soapy water – Fill your large utility tub with tepid water, and your wash bucket with warm water, and add a few squirts of a mild liquid soap to each as you’re filling them.
I want to stress using a mild liquid soap. Be sure not to use any soaps that contain degreasers or detergents. Those can damage (or even kill) sensitive plants.
Step 2: Put plants into the water and soak them – To kill any bugs on houseplants, soak the whole plant, pot and all, in the tub of water for about 15-20 minutes.
The soapy water will kill any bugs that are on the plant or in the soil.
Step 3: Clean plant leaves that are not submerged – If any of the leaves aren’t completely covered by the water, use an organic insecticidal soap to clean the plant leaves that are sticking out of the water.
My recipe for DIY insecticidal soap is 1 tsp of mild liquid soap per 1 liter of water in my spray bottle. If you don’t want to mix your own, you can buy an organic insecticidal soap instead.
Tip: When you put the plants into the water, dead leaves, bugs and other debris will float to the top. So remove all the floating pieces you can before removing your plants to keep them nice and clean.
I use a wide kitchen strainer to skim all the debris off the top of the water before removing the plants from the tub.
Step 4: Remove plants and scrub the pots clean – After soaking your plants, pull them out of the tub and scrub each pot with a scrub brush to clean it (here’s the one I have Flower Pot Bristle Brush).
Step 5: Give the plant and pot a good rinse – Once you’re done cleaning your plant and the pot, rinse the whole plant and the pot thoroughly with the hose to get all the soap and dirt off.
Step 6: Allow the water to drain completely – Set the clean plants aside and allow all the water to completely drain from the pots before moving the plants back indoors.
Step 7: Remove all the dead leaves and other debris floating on top of the water (using your trusty kitchen strainer) before soaking another batch of plants.
Step 8: Bring your plants back inside – Now that your plants have been debugged and all of the excess water has drained out the bottoms of the pots, you can move them back inside.
Once you have them put back into their indoor spot and ready for winter, be sure to allow the soil to dry before watering them again to make sure you’re not over watering them.
Benefits Of Soaking Plants In Soapy Water To Kill Bugs
Of course the main benefit of soaking houseplants in soapy water before bringing them back indoors is killing all the bugs, but there are a few other benefits too.
This method for debugging and cleaning potted plants is great because now your houseplants will get a good watering before you bring them back indoors!
That means you won’t have the added step of watering all of your houseplants once they’re inside (you’re welcome!).
Another added benefit of soaking plants in water is that all the dead leaves and other debris will float to the top, making it easy to discard.
Your plants and their pots will look sparkling clean too, probably cleaner than they’ve ever been. It feels great to have such clean, healthy looking plants, and it’s good for the plants too!
But wait, what about houseplants that are too large to fit into a tub to soak?
Debugging Large Plants To Bring Indoors
Soaking houseplants in soapy water is great for small to medium sized potted plants, but I have several that are too large for this method. So, instead I use a modified version…
I wash the plant leaves and the stem of the entire plant with soapy water (using the same mild liquid soap I use for soaking plants), and then rinse it off thoroughly using the garden hose.
Once the leaves are clean, I spray the whole plant with neem oil. (some houseplants are more sensitive than others, so be sure to test any type of spray on a few leaves before spraying the whole plant)
Tips For Controlling Houseplant Pests
Keep in mind that even if you go through all the steps to debug and clean your houseplants before you bring them indoors, you can still have problems with plant pests.
Mealybugs are especially tricky because they can live for several months without a host plant, and hide in tiny cracks and crevices.
So, if you find any plant bugs after bringing houseplants inside for winter, you could spray the infested plant with a Neem oil solution, or try a pre-mixed organic horticultural oil.
Yellow houseplant sticky stakes work great on flying pests like fungus gnats and whiteflies, and are also non-toxic.
I recommend using these all-natural products to kill plant bugs because they work better than the synthetic ones.
Plus, I’m sure you don’t want to spray any toxic chemical pesticides in your house. To learn more, read about my natural pest control home remedies for houseplants.
FAQs
In this section, I’ll answer a few of the most commonly asked questions I get about debugging plants before bringing them back inside. If you can’t find an answer to your question, then ask it in the comments section below.
What do I spray on plants before bringing them indoors?
You can spray your plants with a neem oil solution, use an organic insecticidal soap, or make your own by mixing 1 teaspoon mild liquid soap with 1 liter of water. I highly recommend testing any type of spray on a few leaves before treating the whole plant to make sure it won’t cause any damage.
What time of year should I bring my plants inside?
You should bring your plants inside in late summer or early fall before the nighttime temperatures drop below 60°F (15.5°C), which is usually about 2-3 weeks before your average first frost date.
Can I use Dawn or Ivory soap to soak my plants?
I personally have never used Dawn soap to soak my plants, but have had success with Ivory in the past. But you have to be careful because these brands can contain detergent, and some also contain degreasers. Detergents and degreasers can harm, or even kill, sensitive plants.
I use and recommend Dr. Bronner’s Baby Mild, which has no additives. That being said, I have heard from readers who have used the other brands with no problem at all.
But my answer to this question is always the same. Whether you’re asking about Ivory or Dawn (or any other brand)… you should test any type of soap on your plants before soaking them, to make sure there’s no damage.
Will your debugging method kill bugs and eggs in houseplant soil?
Yes, soaking your plants in soapy water should kill any bugs or eggs that are living in the soil too. Sometimes there can be air pockets in the soil where they can survive though.
So if you’re concerned, then soak them a little longer. Also, gently tap the pot after it has finished bubbling to try to release any extra air trapped in there.
How do you debug plants that are in pots without drainage holes?
To debug plants that are in pots without drainage holes you can wash the leaves with soapy water or insecticidal soap and rinse them off well after. Then you can spray the leaves with neem oil. But always be sure to test these treatments on a few leaves before spraying the whole plant.
Debugging potted plants before bringing them back indoors is a critical first step in indoor plant pest prevention.
This method of soaking houseplants in soapy water to get rid of the bugs works great for most types of plants, and will help to make sure you bring outdoor plants inside without bugs. Learn more by watching my web story video here.
Trust me, starting the long winter off with clean and healthy houseplants will make indoor plant care SO MUCH easier for you! But, if you do end up with an infestation, then learn about how to get rid of houseplant bugs here.
If you’re looking for more help for how to keep bugs off plants, my Houseplant Pest Control eBook is an essential guide to help you debug your houseplants for good! Download your copy today!
More Posts About Houseplant Pest Control
- Where Do Houseplant Pests Come From?
- How To Use Neem Oil Insecticide On Plants
- Fungus Gnats vs Fruit Flies: What’s The Difference?
- How To Keep Cats Out Of Houseplants
How do you debug plants before bringing them in for the winter? Share your tips in the comments section below.
Debbie Hayes says
How does anyone deal with the awful smell of the insecticide? I used it on the plants and they are drying out so they are not soaked before I bring them is. The smell from the container I mixed it in is smelling up my basement.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Skip the chemical pesticides. They are toxic to your family and pets, and they linger for a long time. Plus the bad bugs can build up a resistance to them. I highly recommend switching to using organic products on your plants. Neem oil is amazing, and works better in the long run than any chemical pesticides. It does have a strong smell, but I leave my plants outside for a few hours after spraying them, and the smell goes away.
Kathy J says
I do this every year. In a previous comment you mentioned to not use Dawn dish soap but that’s what I’ve been using – blue (think it’s original) – & have seen no problems. I have left over bread trays from my husband’s route that I turn over. I put my potted plants on these trays to drain. The holes allow complete drainage. I use a bucket for smaller plants & plastic kiddie pools for larger plants. After everything is dry, sometimes I sprinkle food grade diatomaceous earth on the soil of each pot before bringing in.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Awesome, so glad to hear that this method of debugging your houseplants before bringing them back inside works so well for you. Thanks for sharing your tips! I need to get some of those bread trays. 😉
A detergent like Dawn may work well for the types of plants that you have, but it is still important to be sure to test each plant before soaking it in water containing heavy detergent soaps. Some plants are more sensitive than others (and I’ve killed a few using the wrong type of soap). It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Carolyn Lockhart says
After soaking my plants and letting them drain, how do you get them to dry out so the roots won’t rot.
Amy Andrychowicz says
After moving my plants back indoors, I don’t water them again until they need it. I’ve never had a problem with the roots rotting on any of my plants. Just make sure the pots have drainage holes and good drainage.
cara says
i have alittle over 30 potted plants outside, i don’t have a green house to store them in during winter, what type of set up do you recommend for all these plants during the winter months?
Amy Andrychowicz says
I just bring mine inside the house and put them in different rooms for decoration. I have a small indoor greenhouse that I also use to store plants that need extra humidity. It really depends on the types of plants you have.
Michelle says
Very very, informative thank you. Question do you just use a big bucket or can I put them in bath tub? As you can guess no experience with this process or houseplants. Michelle
Amy Andrychowicz says
I use a big bucket, but a storage bin or something like that would work too. I wouldn’t do it in the bathtub because there will be dirt, leaves, dead bugs…etc in the water after you’re done soaking the plants, and you don’t want all that going down the drain.
Sherry says
Hi Amy, I’m about to use your debugging method on bringing houseplants inside for the winter. Is it OK to use Dr. Brothers pure Castile soap with lavender in it or will this hurt the plants?
Amy Andrychowicz says
I would recommend using the Baby Mild instead of the lavender. The Dr. Bronner’s scented soaps are still organic, but they contain essential oils and I’m not sure how the essential oils could affect certain plants.
Janice Mattingly says
Have had great luck this summer with NZ impatiens and begonias and would like to try overwintering. I have a cool, south-facing room in which to keep them. They’re in 10″ hanging pots outside now, quite full and still flowering in Cleveland,OH. Several questions: the immersion method of debugging seems that it would drown the roots as I don’t believe they would ever drain so any other options other than replacing all the dirt; how much should they be pruned back and when(they’ll be shocked enough coming inside); will removing the top 2″ of soil from my 8′ grapefruit tree remove all the bugs that may have invaded the pots over the summer (can’t submerge it and I hate earwigs!)Thanks for your help!
Amy Andrychowicz says
If you have them in a pot that has drainage holes, the dirt should dry out just fine. I have never tried overwintering impatiens before, so I can’t speak from experience… but I would bring them in and wait to see how well they do inside. You’re right, they will probably go through some shock. I would give them a few weeks to adjust, and then trim the back if they look like they need it.
As for the begonia, if they are tuberous begonias, I let them go dormant during the winter and overwinter them in my basement. They tend to want to go dormant anyway, and for me it’s easier to overwinter them that way. Here’s how to overwinter tuberous begonias. Otherwise, I would do the same thing with them as I suggested with the impatiens.
And for the large tree, you can also wash the leaves with soapy water and rinse them with the hose before bringing it inside. I also use neem oil on my large plants if they tend to struggle with pest issues.
Hope this helps!
Jen says
Hi. Great article! I have a pink powder puff plant that has a ton of gnats in the soil. It is an outdoor plant. If I soak the entire plant before transplanting, will the plant be shocked because the roots have no dirt on them at all because of the soaking? Thank you
Amy Andrychowicz says
I think it would be fine if you soaked it when it’s bare root and then potting it up right after. The key for getting rid of soil gnats is allowing the top 1″ of soil to dry out. Soil gnats thrive in wet soil. Here’s more info about about how to control soil gnats.
Jen says
Thank you very much for the speedy reply. I am actually going to be transplanting today. I will give an update when done. ??
Shannon says
Hi! Great article! Hope you can help me out as I need to do this fairly soon. I have a fairy garden in an old wagon with English tears and other ground covering plants. I want to debug and replant them in smaller containers indoors for the winter. Can I just remove each plant one by one and submerge without the container, and then replant it in the smaller terrarium type bowls? Or will I lose all the dirt that way? Do you think it would work? Please advise! Thank you.
Amy Andrychowicz says
I think that would work just fine. You will probably lose some of the dirt, but I don’t think that would be a problem.
Julie says
I’ve never thought to do this but now you explain it seems like such a “doh!” moment. Of course bugs will come in with the plants, this is so simple and quite brilliant – thank you.
Kristie says
Do spiders and spider eggs come in on house plants/trees?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, they sure can.
Kristie says
I have trees that are potted they are too big to soak what can I do?
Amy Andrychowicz says
I use a spray bottle filled with soapy water to spray the leaves. Then I’ll gently wash them, and then hose the plant off. You can also spray them with Neem oil if you’ve had pest issues on those plants in the past (or if pests show up after you bring them inside).
Liron Z says
Hi, can I use this method to debug potted plants just for the debugging?
Sounds like a good method even if you don’t need to move them inside.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, for sure!
Martha says
I understand how to de-bug my potted plants before taking them indoors. My question is how do I make sure there are no bugs or bug eggs in the soil in the flower pot?
Amy Andrychowicz says
This method should kill the eggs too (the soap kills bugs and eggs). But, there could still be some eggs that survive in the soil (especially soil gnat eggs). If you have issues, you could remove the top 1-2 inches of soil and replace it with fresh, sterile potting soil. That will remove the eggs. Just be sure to throw the old soil outside or in the garbage bin (not in a garage can in your house).
Randy says
Will this method work for mealy bugs?
Amy Andrychowicz says
The soapy water will kill many of the bugs on the plant, but may not get rid of all of them completely if you have a heavy infestation. After soaking your plants as described above, I recommend using neem oil treatments to be sure that the bugs are completely gone. Here’s how to get rid of mealybugs for good, and here’s a post I wrote about using neem oil on houseplants.
Deb says
I live way out in the country, can I use Johnson’s baby shampoo instead. I only have Dawn dish soap around the house. Thank you, this is a wonderful article.
Amy Andrychowicz says
I have never bought that brand before, but it sounds like it would work since it’s gentle and made for babies too. Test it out on a few leaves first like I mention in the post. Definitely don’t use the Dawn soap.
Sharon says
I have used Dawn dish. Detergent in the past and it worked fine on house plants but never did any fuzzy leaves.
Amy Andrychowicz says
As I said, some plants are more sensitive than others, so it’s always best to test any type of soap you use on a few leaves before using it on the whole plant.
Tom Sikorski says
Please do not use Dawn or any other harsh soaps ,They are phytotoxic to the plants.they can actually strip away the cuticle of the plant which is it’s protective layer, opening it up to disease and pest damage. There are plenty of safe horticultural soaps available formulated for just this purpose.
krisit says
They use dawn to clean animals covered in oil – dawn has never hurt any of my plants.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Some plants are more sensitive than others. 🙂
Tom Sikorski says
But the thing people do not realize is that animals can regenerate the “protective layer of natural oil that protects them when they preen themselves. Plants cannot do that . The Dawn actually is phtytoxic to the plants and can strip away the cuticle which like your own skin , protects against bacteria, diseases and pests. Thing of how you would feel if you used a product that removed your protective layer of skin?
Jen Y says
It looks like you used this method for sedums as well? I have quite a few that I bring in.
I assume this cannot be done for African violets? I keep them on my screened porch through the summer – they thrive there.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, I do this with all of my succulents plants. You’re correct, you don’t want to use this method for African violets, they don’t like it when their leaves get wet.
Jen Y says
Thank you!
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome! 🙂
V. Boutin says
If you do this on African violets, they should recover nicely as long as you don’t put them in direct sunlight while the leaves are wet. It’s the combo of wet leaves and sunlight that damages them
Amy Andrychowicz says
Great, thanks for the tip.