Halton region Master Gardeners

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Bringing Plants Indoors,Without Bringing in Problems

Thinking about bringing your houseplants indoors for the winter? It’s the perfect time — but don’t let pests and diseases hitch a ride! In our latest post, Cathy Kavassalis shares step-by-step tips on how to clean, prune, and repot your plants before moving them inside. From soaking roots to spotting critters in the soil (yes,…

Cathy Kavassalis – Halton Master Gardener

August 28, 2025

This mild fall weather is perfect for working out in the garden—and an ideal time to prepare houseplants for their move indoors. Many gardeners want to overwinter tender plants inside, but along with them we can easily bring in unwanted pests and disease. With a bit of preparation, you can minimize potential problems and help your plants thrive indoors all winter.

Step 1: Inspect and Clean

You may want to bring plants indoors for the winter. Unfortunately, we can easily bring pests and disease inside with these plants. There are some things you can do to reduce the potential problems.

  • Inspect the pots and plants carefully for pests or disease.
  • Prune out dead or diseased stems.
  • Wash the plant with water or an insecticidal soap solution. (Some plants are sensitive to soaps, so test a leaf if you are not sure.).There are many products available through retailer
  • Lift the plant out of the pot to examine roots and look for activity in the soil. If bugs are present, rinse roots and/or soak in an insecticidal soap solution.
  • If reusing pots, wash them thoroughly and consider using a dilute bleach solution before repotting.
  • Use sterile soil appropriate for your plant species.
  • Water well and bring inside.

(Watch for pest and disease outbreaks in the coming months. The sooner you catch them, the easier they are to manage.)

Step 2: Gather Your Tools

  • Get a big tub/container, insecticidal soap, pruners, soil, gloves, a root knife, etc.

Step 3: My Process with Two Houseplants

Today, I chose to clean up a Boston fern (Nephrolepsis exaltata ‘Bostoniensis’) and a variegated Never Never plant (Ctenanthe lubbersiana) to bring inside. I took some pictures to illustrate the process.

  • I cleaned the soil from the roots and dunked the foliage in a bath.

  • Lift your plant out of the pot …Hmm there are critters in there.
  • Clean your pot carefully.
  • Rinse, prune, and re-pot.
Gather materials
Clean soil from roots
Dunk plant
Clean pot
Re-pot

Both my plants had many bugs, slugs, and spiders. So I prepared a big tub of water and added a tablespoon of concentrated insecticidal soap (about a 1% solution is desired). Use only plant-safe soaps, according to directions.

Safer’s Insecticidal Soap is one product available for use in Canada. Always choose prepared products as they’re prepared safely to the right concentration to be used with plants. See The Dirt on Soap

Because my plants were large, I could not submerse them all at once, but needed to soak the tops and then the roots. As I looked at the soil of the fern, I saw that it was full of woodlice (e.g. pill bugs) and various other interesting little critters. So I needed to carefully wash the roots.

I used a strong spray from my hose to remove most of the existing soil and critters before dipping the plant back into my soap bath. Several more little bugs floated up.

After a few minutes of soaking, I rinsed the plants thoroughly and repotted with a tropical soil blend. Remember to select the right soil for your plants. Tamp down the soil and water well.

Done for the day.

Step 4: Keep Watching

Even after careful cleaning, continue to monitor houseplants through the winter. Catching pest or disease problems early makes them much easier to manage.

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