GROWING GUIDE
Bring Plants Indoors for Winter
Once winter has started, a tender pot still outside should come in before the next night in the 40s. Most houseplants want to be inside below about 50°F. Check for insects, then water less and skip fertilizer while the plant adjusts. The fall guide is the move you make before frost. This page is the late catch-up.
University of Minnesota Extension says most houseplants should come inside when nights fall into the 40s, and in most cases before the temperature is below about 50°F. A few succulents and cacti tolerate a night near 40°F, and pansies and mums can take a light frost. Those exceptions are not a reason to leave a tropical pot outside after winter has started. The same page says to inspect for insects, including fungus gnats, aphids, spider mites, mealybugs, and scale, and to quarantine the plant away from the indoor collection. Yellow leaves after the move are common, especially on hibiscus, ficus, and citrus, because the days are shorter. Illinois Extension says not to fertilize houseplants in the short days of winter unless they are under lights and still growing, and that too much fertilizer burns roots. Water by the mix. A cool dim room dries slowly. This page is the late catch-up. The fall move, done before frost, is a different guide.
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What is still outside, and what changes indoors?
Bring in now: tropical and tender pots still outside come in before the next night in the 40s. Most houseplants should be inside below about 50°F. Succulents may take a cooler night, not a hard freeze. Hardy mums and pansies can keep a light frost; a small pot can still freeze. Plants already in the ground stay out. Once inside, water less and skip fertilizer.
| Still outside | Tonight | Do this |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical houseplant, citrus, coleus, begonia, or any pot you grew indoors last winter | Nights in the 40s, or already below about 50°F | Bring it in now. Inspect it first. |
| Succulent or cactus that spent summer outdoors | A night near 40°F, or any frost risk | Bring it in. A cool night is not a hard freeze they should sit through. |
| Pansy, or a hardy mum in a pot | Light frost | Flowers can stay for a light frost. Move or cover a small pot if the root ball might freeze. Use the mum page for that choice. |
| Hardy perennial in the ground | Freeze | Leave it. This page is for pots that are still outside. |
| Already indoors and dropping leaves | Any | Do not feed. Water less. The drop is the move, not a cue for fertilizer. |
The planned move, done before frost, is bring houseplants indoors for fall. Do not redo that whole checklist here. Tonight’s frost choice for chrysanthemums is do mums tolerate frost. The rest of the outdoor winter list is the winter garden. The calendar is frost dates, and winter survival of a perennial is the USDA zone finder. Pipes, if they are still charged, are winterize sprinklers.
After the pot is inside, check the mix before you pour. The watering calculator with the winter season is the new gap. A cool, shorter day is not a cue to feed. Quarantine the newcomer away from plants that never went outside, until you have looked for insects.
Common questions
What if I missed the fall move?+
Bring tender pots in before the next night in the 40s. Most houseplants should already be inside below about 50°F. The fall page is the checklist for a planned move. This page is the late one.
Can mums and pansies stay out?+
They can take a light frost. A small pot can still freeze. Use the mum frost page for cover versus move, and leave hardy plants that are in the ground.
Why are leaves dropping after I bring a plant in?+
University of Minnesota Extension says that drop is common, especially on hibiscus, ficus, and citrus, because the days got shorter. Do not answer it with fertilizer.
Should I feed and water on the summer schedule?+
No. Illinois Extension says to skip fertilizer in the short days of winter unless the plant is under lights and still growing. Water when the mix needs it. A cool room dries slowly.
Sources & editorial notes
- University of Minnesota Extension: bringing houseplants in for winter
- Illinois Extension: houseplant care
- University of Minnesota Extension: hardy mums
This is the late catch-up after winter starts. The fall bring-in page is the move you do before frost. Sources checked November 7, 2026. Editorial responsibility.