Each fall as frost approaches, gardeners are tempted to dig garden plants and place them in pots for use indoors. Too often, the results are disappointing as plants that were full of leaves and flowers in the garden drop leaves and stop flowering indoors.

Even shade-loving plants such as impatiens require higher amounts of light to thrive than found in most indoor settings. (Credit: Pixabay)

Saving an attractive plant is tempting, but there are several points to consider before attempting to do so. First, is there a suitable location in the home to keep the plant once it is potted? Is the plant in question suitable for growing indoors? Is there any sentimental value to the plant? Is the plant rare or expensive? Is the plant free of insects and diseases?

If the answer is “yes” to these questions, then your time and effort may be warranted.

On the other hand, if the following are some of your reasons for saving a plant it may be a waste of time and effort: It is too attractive to allow it to freeze. I need a colorful plant to place in my home. I want to save it for next spring and plant it outdoors again. I want to give the plant as a gift to a friend.

Tuberous rooted begonias can be successfully moved indoors, given proper conditions exist. (Credit: North Carolina State University)

The fact is that many garden plants do not make good houseplants in any indoor location. Common annual plants such as marigold, zinnia, ageratum, celosia, flowering vinca, and scaevola are all true annuals. They will not thrive indoors because the light is too poor, the temperature is too warm, and the relative humidity of the air is too low.

On the other hand, if a suitable location in the home is available, shade-loving plants such as begonia and impatiens or sun-loving species such as geranium and ornamental pepper might survive indoors.

Flowering plants that are indoors, particularly those from the garden, need bright light in winter regardless of their light preference outdoors. In general, garden annuals grow best during the long daylengths of summer. Short winter days coupled with the poor amount of light typical of most interior settings will prevent most annual garden plants from flourishing or even surviving. Supplemental (artificial) light is beneficial but will have its greatest impact if placed over plants growing with good light from a sunny window.

Supplemental lighting can increase the chances for garden plants to survive indoors. (Credit: University of Minnesota)

As previously mentioned, temperatures can be a problem for garden plants moved indoors. Night temperatures close to 60°F promote the best growth while daytime temperatures are less critical. If possible, keep geraniums in a bright window in a room where nighttime temperatures are 50 to 55°F.

If you are determined to save garden plants, lift them carefully from the ground and place them in a large pot. Plants may look small outdoors, but the complete root system may require a larger pot than expected. An 8-inch pot or larger may be needed for the root system of that (seemingly) little plant in the garden.

Maintain a ball of undisturbed soil and roots as much as possible. Some root pruning along the sides of the soil ball usually is necessary. However, the more roots that are pruned off, the more top growth should also be pruned off. Be aware that too much top pruning may ruin the plant if its main purpose is indoor decoration.

Situate the plant in the pot at about the same depth it was growing in the garden and fill around the existing root ball with a good peat-lite potting mix. If there is no immediate danger of frost, keep the newly potted plant outdoors in the shade for a week or two to become adjusted to growing in a container. If the weather is cold outdoors, bring the newly potted plant to a cool room indoors and place it by a bright window. For the first few days, cover the plant loosely with a plastic bag to increase the humidity around its leaves. Fertilize only lightly with a water soluble fertilizer formulated for indoor plants.

Gardeners who simply want to save a few garden plants for the following growing season may prefer taking cuttings, since they require less space. Begonia, impatiens and geranium root readily from cuttings taken in the fall.

Taking and rooting cuttings is one way to retain a favorite plant that cannot be moved indoors. (Credit: Mississippi State University)

Cleanliness is important when vegetatively propagating plants. Used both sterilized potting soil and containers. Take cuttings three to six inches in length from near the tops of the plants and stick about one half their length into a potting mix. If available, rooting hormones can be applied to encourage root formation. Cover the cuttings with plastic bags to increase humidity during the rooting process. Some wilting can be expected but promptly remove any leaves or cuttings that start to show signs of decay.