When should you take out your houseplants?

As anyone who goes on vacation knows. There's nothing like a change of scenery to bring you back in top form. The same goes for our houseplants. Good news: they're not as fussy as we are! There's no need to book them a road trip to Scotland or an all-inclusive week in Crete. A stay on a windowsill, on the balcony or, for the lucky ones, in the garden, is enough to revitalize them at the end of winter.

Outdoors, even in the shade, the light is much stronger than behind your best-exposed bay window. On your terrace or windowsill, your houseplants receive direct sunlight and grow faster. They produce more leaves, and these are also larger. If you grow variegated varieties, such as monstera deliciosa variegata, the variegation of the leaf blades will be more pronounced.

Fresh air, even in the city, is better suited to the needs of plants. In our houses and apartments, the air is dry because of the heating. Outside, the air is more humid and better suited to tropical species.

What's more, outdoors, our plants benefit from wind and rain. Both help to clean the foliage. Showers also provide optimal watering, with nutrient-rich, non-calcareous water.

Finally, some plants, like Cambria orchids or miltonia orchid, need to experience temperature variations between day and night in order to flower. By allowing them to spend the summer in your garden (outside periods of heatwave), you stimulate flowering.

There's no set date for getting your plants out. It depends on where you live and the weather. You can put your protected plants outside :

Each species has a different hardiness temperature. If you want to simplify your life and take your entire collection outside at once, remember that the outdoor season can start as soon as the temperature doesn't drop below 15°, even at night. In most parts of the northern hemisphere, houseplants can be taken outside without fear during the summer months, from June to September.

Once your plants are outside, keep an eye on the thermometer. You're not immune to cold spells, even in summer. And in the event of a heatwave, it's best to bring your tropical plants inside. When the heat is on, they prefer a cool interior to a spot of full sun.

Before being houseplants, the varieties we grow in our homes are plants made for life outdoors. So you can take all your plants outdoors. The grandmother of your Aglaonema commutatum probably lives happily in a Philippine rainforest. The great-grandfather of your Echeveria agavoides lives his best life in a Mexican desert.

Just be sure to respect their preferences. Not all plants have the same light requirements. Some, like cacti and succulents, like full sun. Others, like Marantaceae, prefer part shade. To make sure you meet the requirements of each plant, consult its growing instructions on the Monstera app. We'll show you the recommended exposure.

Finally, consider the weather conditions. While a shower is often the best watering, not all plants like to have their foliage wet! Species with downy limbs, such as Begonia rex or Saintpaulia, shouldn't be out in the rain. Avoid exposing hanging baskets such as sedum burrito or chain of Hearts to the Mistral and Tramontane winds. The wind could damage their fragile vines.

Direct sunlight is much more intense than behind glass. You need to gradually get your plant used to the light to prevent sunburn. Start by taking it out in the morning, in the shade, for a few hours. After two or three days, leave it outside for the day. Then move it to half-shade, then into the sun. Be careful, however, not to expose your plant to full south exposure, as it could suffer from heatstroke. Only a few cacti and succulents require exposure to full sun at the hottest times of the day.

In the open air, your plant will experience a growth spurt. Encourage it by fertilizing regularly. It also needs more water than indoors. Be generous when watering, especially if your pot is not exposed to rain. But the golden rules of watering still apply: use non-calcareous water at room temperature (forget the hose connected to the house tap) and remove any water that stagnates in the saucer.

Finally, remember to protect your plant from pests. Indoors, the enemy may be thrips or mites, but in the garden, your Misery could be the delight of snails, slugs and other insects, such as leaf-cutting bees.

Don't wait until it's too late to bring your plants in. As soon as the thermometer dips below 15 degrees at night, bring everyone indoors. But if it's still hot during the day, there's nothing to stop you staying in the garden for a few hours a day.

Before coming home, it's time for an inspection. Just like when you bring home a new addition from the garden center, examine the foliage of your plants to make sure you haven't introduced any pests, diseases or parasites into your indoor jungle. They could contaminate your entire collection.