Why Do People Put Their Houseplants Outside When It Rains?

On several occasions, I’ve noticed people who, for some unknown reason, have placed their indoor houseplants outdoors on certain days. In my experience, this activity appears to be correlated with rainfall.

Why do people place their houseplants outside when it’s raining? It would appear that the amount of water saved by doing this would be very minute. Is there any evidence that rainwater is better for plants than tap water??

Thanks.

Hey, free water.

Well, tap water has its problems. We have really hard water, and it puts a rime of minerals on my pots. I don’t know if that’s bad for the plants. Also, if you have treated water, you have to let it sit for several hours before watering with it so that the chlorine can escape.

Rain will also wash the plants off so you don’t have to wipe the dust off.

Also, many plants like a lot of direct sunshine. But because outdoor plants are in the sun so much they need to be watered more. So if you set your plants out on a day you know it will be rainy, you have the best of both worlds: lots of sunshine for them, and nature does the watering.

Some people do believe that rainwater is better for plants - absence of chlorine/cloramine, fluoride, etc. In **Podkayne’s ** situation, the rainwater may be better for the pots, as well.

…on a day you know it will be rainy…lots of sunshine…

:confused:

It’s a vacation for my plants. I know, personally, that being cooped up all day in the house is a Bad Thing. So I get outdoors when i can. Why shouldn’t my plants get the same chance? Get out, talk to their friends… :smiley:

No “evidence” but yes, in my opinion rainwater is much better for my plants than tap. This isn’t just for houseplants or container plants either. I can water 'till I’m blue in the face with the sprinkler but it’s only after a rain that the yard and/or container plants really take off.

The main benefit for me is that a good shower of rain washes the dust off the leaves - much easier than dusting the whole plant.

That would be full spectrum sunlight. Window glass filters some of the spectrum that plants like.
A plant that lives in the sunniest window in the house, would need to be in partial shade outside, and gradually moved into full sun. Otherwise, they “sunburn.”
I found out the hard way, my large leaf schefflera had big white burns last summer.

We have a water softener in our house, but the kitchen tap isn’t treated. So, if my wife draws softened water (high in potassium or sodium salts) from a bathroom sink, might it be bad for the plants — as opposed to the hard water, directly from the well?

Never thought about this until now.

I never put houseplants out in full sun. They spend the summer on the front porch, where I keep watering them with (ew!) tap water (which has been sitting for a week before I use it, to let some of the minerals settle out). They lurve their summer vacation.

I have been known to do it for plants with glossy or large leaves which get dusty.

I also anthropomorphise and figure they might enjoy the fresh air and change of scene.

Right now, our ficus is enjoying a spring holiday by the front door.