Indoor Plants, Meet the Outdoors

by Alex Jacobs July 5, 2022

Happy Summer, everyone! We have finally entered Baltimore Summer - where the days are hot and humid, and the nights are no different.

This also means it’s that time of the year where our indoor plants THRIVE in the outdoors. Take advantage, and give your indoor plant pals a change of scenery by using them to decorate your front steps or back porches.

BUT - we should warn you…

Please only leave your indoor plants outside if there is plenty of shade!

Your “fun in the sun” motto should be kept to your own summer plans. Succulents and Cacti will be happy in DIRECT sunlight, but your leafy green tropical plants will dry up and burn under such intensity. Indoor plants certainly exist as an oxymoron, but there’s a happy balance between protecting the indoor comforts of your plant, while letting it benefit from the nutrients of nature.

With the abundance of sunshine and warmth comes a less favorite part of a

Baltimore summer– extra pests sneaking into our homes or biting at our ankles. Yes, sadly, summer is the season for pests. You may notice some creatures have taken a liking to your indoor plants. But don’t fret! Weekly pest preventative treatment can help you to avoid those icky critters.

A very common bug is the fungus gnat (they resemble fruit flies but hover around the tops of your plants). They love humidity and lay their eggs in the top inch or two of moist (usually) tropical potting mixes. Here’s how to prevent them:

#1 - Make sure the top few inches dry out before your next watering. The biggest reason for fungus gnats is OVER watering.

#2 - A weekly treatment of your favorite organic/natural pest repellent (like this one), a mixture of water and isopropyl alcohol, or even both! Spray not only the tops of the leaves, but make sure you get the underside, the stems and the top of the soil. If it’s a space a bug could land, make sure it gets a spritz.

And the last tip to keep your plants lasting as long as these summer nights?

Feed them!

This is the time of the year when plants are growing the most and working the hardest. This means they need more nutrients to sustain energy use.

Every plant is different, but we recommend a bi-weekly feeding during this heavy growing season. No home-cooked meal needed, just take a few extra minutes to read the instructions of your favorite fertilizers and do a little google search on your plant friend for a more accurate feeding schedule (or check out this plant food available right in our shop!). Definitely get those babies some extra food, and they’ll reward you for it!

While your plants enjoy the summer breeze, we hope you do, too! Have a fun and amazing season, and enjoy the outdoors for all they have to offer.

And while you’re out, don’t forget to pop by the store. We can’t wait to see you! Call us for any plant questions, and email photos if there is a concern. We will try our best to identify the problem… but please don’t bring icky bugs into our store :)