Garden Guide: Bringing your houseplants outside for summer? Avoid this mistake

If you've been caring for your tropical plants through winter indoors, you're probably itching to bring them outside for the summer. First, there's a common mistake that can kill your plants in hours. But the good news? It's easy to avoid!

Alex Calamia

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Apr 30, 2025, 11:22 AM

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Updated 2 hr ago

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After months of low light, many gardeners don’t realize the sun these plants crave, can kill them if they’re not acclimated properly.

It’s called sun scorch—and it happens fast. Even full-sun plants, like hibiscus, citrus, and cacti can get scorched after spending months inside. The intense UV and heat of real sunlight can:

Bleach and fade leaves
Cause leaves to curl or crisp
Kill new growth
Sometimes kill the entire plant

The transition back outside needs to be gradual.

How to adjust indoor plants to outdoor life again:

1. Start in full shade for at least 2 weeks. This gives your plants time to adapt to fluctuating temps and higher light intensity—without getting sunburned.

2. Ease them into filtered sun. After two weeks, begin introducing them to morning sun (before 9 a.m.) or late afternoon sun (after 5 p.m.). Avoid direct midday sun, because it’s the strongest.

3. Watch and adjust. If leaves look pale or start curling, scale back immediately. Add shade cloth, move them under a tree, or try again after a few days.

4. Give it time. Most plants take 3 weeks to fully harden off to outdoor light. And plants that require full shade, like peace lilies or African violet, should never be in direct outdoor sunlight.

Your plants survived winter - don’t let the sun kill them.

Tropical plants like fiddle leaf figs, pothos, and bird of paradise can absolutely thrive outdoors—but only with the right transition.