I have a colleague who spends the summer months along the rugged coast of Maine, and returns to life in North Carolina around this time of year. My family likes to "summer" along the North Carolina beaches and mountains. And I have a Christmas Cactus and some Peace Lilies that summer on the front porch.

Last week, Rah-Rah Rita posed a good question: when should we bring in our Christmas Cactus for the cooler weather?

Our houseplants like to get out in the sun, stretch their leaves and soak in the Vitamin D and warmth just like we do. The heat and humidity of our Carolina summers is good for them, particularly when placed on a covered porch or deck. And, likewise, they're also ready to head back indoors when the evening temperatures begin to dip below 50⁰. So over the next few weeks, it's time to move your houseplants back to their warmer indoor abode. In the back of my mind, I have a three-step approach that I follow each fall:

1. Adjust my watering schedule: During the overheated summer days, you've probably been watering your plants more frequently ... once you've moved them back inside, you'll need to reduce your watering schedule back to once a week or less, depending on how dry your home is (your heating system can sap the moisture right out of your plants). But a few days before bringing any plant back inside, I give it one last showering bath with fertilizer to make sure that the leaves are squeaky clean, and the water and fertilizer mix touch more than just the soil.
2. Shape it up: You'll also need to trim off or pull any crispy or unsightly leaves and foliage from your plants before they come back in. I like to think of it as giving them a haircut.
3. De-bug it: My husband is a God among men for his willingness to de-bug the houseplants before they move back inside. There's nothing worse than extra creepy-crawly hitchhikers roaming your house, thrilled for the warmer temperatures.

Do you follow any guidelines when bringing your plants back indoors for the winter?