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Bringing Tropical Plants Indoors

Allen Owings
/
LSU AgCenter

Louisiana gardeners often use contianers of tender tropical plans on decks, patios, porches, and in courtyards to provide color and beauty throughout the growing season. Some of these plants thrive in outdoor conditions but can't withstand freezing temperatures. This means they need to be protected during the winter and may need to be brought indoors.

Before you start bringing everything inside, think about which plants you actually want to protect. You might have a few plants that are readily available and relatively inexpensive to purchase. It might not be worth the trouble to bring plants inside if they're easily replaced.

For those that you will bring inside, think about where indoors you'll place them. Remember these tropicals need a lot of light so they must be placed near a window or glass door so they get ample light.

One of the most difficult problems these plants have to deal with when they come inside is the sudden reduction in light that happens when they come indoors. It's like a starvation diet for a plant. Consider bringing the plants to a shaded location outdoors a couple of weeks before they come indoors. This will help them acclaimate to the reduction in available light.