Houseplants....outside!

It honestly never even occured to me that this was something gardeners even did. I always thought, quite wrongly, that there was a firm line between indoor plants and outdoor plants.

However, I have come to realise that placing (some) indoor plants outside (gradually as not to shock them) can have some huge benefits for your houseplants.

Daytime temps are fine at this time of the year, but I have been religiously checking night time temps too, and they seem to hover (in the UK) around the 10-14°C mark, which is quite favourable for most houseplants.

I haven't brought any houseplants outside this year, but next year I plan to set an area aside and bring them out.

I don't have masses of indoor plants. I have a few calatheas, a couple of bromeliads, a large spider plant, a Kentia palm and a mother in law's tongue.

As long as I do it gradually, and protect from the hottest days, and water accordingly, should I encounter any problems with these plants outside, for say, May to September?

 

Summer is fine for most 'house plants' to be outside, after all they grow outside in their native habitat. I put several outside every year and bring them back indoors at the end of September or early October, depending on the species.
Most of them like a bit of shelter from strong afternoon sunshine.
Some can get a bit chewed by snails.
Succulents and cacti also do well outside in the summer time.
I don't keep them separate from other plants, they are all just plants anyway. I always mix them with other potted plants on the patio etc.

 

Stephanotis was a classic example. I tried for years to grow it in the house or the conservatory with no success. Here, it grows beautifully on the terrace between March and October, flowers it's socks off and overwinters under the roof against the house wall, in the improvised 'conservatory' made of wood frames and polytunnel plastic sheet. Ditto Plumeria, Aeonium, Jasmines sambac and grandiflora, Cestrum, Brugmansia and Bougainvillea.
With your foliage houseplants, I'd think they'll appreciate a shady spot.

 

I bring cacti into greenhouse for summer-autumn, and used to let orchids like dendrobium berry oda and coelogynes to spend summer in the greenhouse. I don't risk bringing other houseplants outsides. They easily can get thrips,mites etc., have catepillars, slugs, snails to munch on them. Nope, it's not for me. I would be upset by damaged leaves and flowers.

 

I've got a small Philodendron bipinnatifidium, that I'm growing as a conservatory in winter, outside in summer plant.
I grew one years ago and it got massive and it really did benefit from being outside in summer, but obviously you do get the odd damaged leaf, I can live with that, most of my full time house plants have damaged leaves anyway.

 

Never put Kentias in direct sun always shade or they will burn, Calatheas must be in shade or semi shade but Spiders are ok if moved into sunlight gradually and they can survive a light frost.
As mentioned by @pete they will be open to any insects which might take a fancy to them.

 

It's a south facing back garden, and when it's warm, it's very warm, and very bright. I wouldn't put any of my houseplants through those conditions. I'm thinking of having a small partially covered area which gives dappled shade only.

I've a long time to have a think about it. Like I said, this plan is for next year.

Thanks for the info guys.

 

I have numerous 'houseplants' that end up as 'garden plants'. Chlorophytum, various tradescantia, chamaedoreas, aspidistras to name a few. A lot of plants are hardier than you are led to believe....don't even get me started on cacti and succulents!
Of course, I am in a milder part of the country but it's winter wet that killed most of the failures I've had, not the cold

 

I tend to put them outside (north side of the house) when they get too big or too many pests (usually mealy bug). It's a kind of last chance. I have a Cissus vine on my back hedge which has survived for years. I thought it was a goner after last winter's frost but it has come back. Bear in mind we are mild here in Cornwall. I also put Cymbidiums out until it gets quite cold as they need to be less than 10 degrees to make flower buds.