After a long winter spent in the cold and dark, you can't wait to get outside for some sunshine, warm temperatures, and fresh air. And guess what… Your houseplants do too!

Most houseplants are tropical plants that require the warm, somewhat humid conditions of their natural habitat. In the home, many can become tired-looking, especially over winter, when even your brightest window provides lower-than-ideal light levels.

So why not send your houseplants on a vacation from which they’ll return re-energized, invigorated and having grown like, well, a weed?

Make sure the weather is right

Just as you might avoid visiting certain areas during extreme seasonal weather events, your plants’ summer vacation plans should also be carefully timed. Jumping the gun, such as setting them out on the first warm spring day, could be injurious or even fatal. Some tropical plants can suffer severe damage when temperatures drop to just 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wait until nighttime temperatures remain reliably above 60 degrees, then harden plants off by placing them in a shady outdoor spot (to avoid sunburn) for an hour or two. Then bring them back indoors. Repeat this daily over the course of a week, increasing their outdoor exposure by one hour each day. At the end of the week, they should be well acclimated to the stronger light, longer days and the wind of the great outdoors, where they can spend the summer.

In late summer or early fall, when temperatures threaten to drop below 60 F in your garden, reverse the acclimation process by moving plants into the shade for incrementally longer periods each day for a week. Then, inspect them for insects and, for good measure, give them a hose shower before bringing them back home.