It might be a little early to start talking about this, but I have a couple plants that I will be transitioning to indoors at some point. When I've brought the lemon tree indoors in previous years I've always had a lot of leaf drop and tons of shield bugs and stickiness from the plant. It just doesn't like coming indoors.
I also got a mandaveli plant this year and it's doing fabulous on my back porch right now.
I put them in a south facing window and they get plenty of sun, but definitely not as much as they do when they're outside. Both plants are thriving right now....really would like to keep them up
the very first thing you must do before bringing them in is to treat them with an insecticidal spray to rid them of pests..it's perfectly normal for them to drop leaves after being brought inside and you should check to see if they need repotting. You have placed them correctly for the sunlight they need. I have nearly killed my lemon tree 3 times over for various reasons but it still sends out new shoots.
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applestar
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Start acclimating your plants to lower light conditions by moving them to a less sunny location. This works out for me because I begin by putting them on my patio which is more sheltered and the brick helps to keep the temps up a little more than out in the open so they can stay out a little longer, but is handy for bringing them inside in a hurry if lower temp is forecast, AND this location is shaded by the trees until late morning.
I agree about repotting. You should see my "jungle" on the patio right now. Repotted ones on the left, to be repotted ones on the right and elsewhere in the garden.
Actually, a location that gets morning sun but is shaded before sunset is more ideal, if you have one.
Check out [url=https://helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=29413]this list[/url] and be sure to bring in the plants before or as soon as the overnight/pre-dawn temps start to dip below the minimum. If they experience too low temp for several days straight, they'll start the dormancy mechanism and will drop leaves even if you bring them inside and they won't turn around for a while.
If your plant is not listed, I don't have it. Please post the minimums in the thread if you find out and I'll add it to the OP so it can be a useful reference.
P.S. I don't spray my plants. I try to bring in the full microcosm including the predators, and I want to preserve the soil food web in the containers, but that's just me.
I shoo any flying bugs off, and I do try to encourage the ants to move out by flooding the pots before bringing them in. 
There are usually some spiders and centipedes. Last year, there was a Black Swallowtail chrysalis. 
Oh. I do draw the line at grand brown garden spiders. When I moved the avocado yesterday, I accidentally broke a two-foot diameter web. I was hoping the spider who usually climbs up one of the anchor lines as soon as they see me come near had hidden in the apple branch, but when I looked closer, I saw it peeking out from the top of the avocado. So I positioned the plant so the avocado is touching the honeysuckle vine. Hopefully, she moved out last night because I need to bring the plant in soon.
PPS. When I do bring them inside -- There is always some leaf loss and some plants do drop leaves more. I thoroughly mist my plants with filtered water first thing in the morning and lat thing at night. I believe they are used to the morning dew and evening condensation and the higher humidity. If I neglect to do this, their leaves tend to take on dried crisp appearance and start to drop.
PPPS. I forgot another important point -- you need to check their preferred winter temp, and survey your home for micro-climates. Most of my citruses stay downstairs in a SW window in a room farthest from the thermostat where temps fall to low 60's -- but they would prefer 50's. My tropicals go upstairs where it stays above 65 and closer to 70. You can always provide supplemental light if necessary.
I agree about repotting. You should see my "jungle" on the patio right now. Repotted ones on the left, to be repotted ones on the right and elsewhere in the garden.
Actually, a location that gets morning sun but is shaded before sunset is more ideal, if you have one.
Check out [url=https://helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=29413]this list[/url] and be sure to bring in the plants before or as soon as the overnight/pre-dawn temps start to dip below the minimum. If they experience too low temp for several days straight, they'll start the dormancy mechanism and will drop leaves even if you bring them inside and they won't turn around for a while.
If your plant is not listed, I don't have it. Please post the minimums in the thread if you find out and I'll add it to the OP so it can be a useful reference.
P.S. I don't spray my plants. I try to bring in the full microcosm including the predators, and I want to preserve the soil food web in the containers, but that's just me.
I shoo any flying bugs off, and I do try to encourage the ants to move out by flooding the pots before bringing them in. There are usually some spiders and centipedes. Last year, there was a Black Swallowtail chrysalis. Oh. I do draw the line at grand brown garden spiders. When I moved the avocado yesterday, I accidentally broke a two-foot diameter web. I was hoping the spider who usually climbs up one of the anchor lines as soon as they see me come near had hidden in the apple branch, but when I looked closer, I saw it peeking out from the top of the avocado. So I positioned the plant so the avocado is touching the honeysuckle vine. Hopefully, she moved out last night because I need to bring the plant in soon.
PPS. When I do bring them inside -- There is always some leaf loss and some plants do drop leaves more. I thoroughly mist my plants with filtered water first thing in the morning and lat thing at night. I believe they are used to the morning dew and evening condensation and the higher humidity. If I neglect to do this, their leaves tend to take on dried crisp appearance and start to drop.
PPPS. I forgot another important point -- you need to check their preferred winter temp, and survey your home for micro-climates. Most of my citruses stay downstairs in a SW window in a room farthest from the thermostat where temps fall to low 60's -- but they would prefer 50's. My tropicals go upstairs where it stays above 65 and closer to 70. You can always provide supplemental light if necessary.
wow thanks for the suggestions! So far the 2 that need to come inside are doing well outside and I am not bringing them in any time soon but I think I will begin hardening them off.
I repot the lemon every spring so it's been repotted recently.
I think I WILL spray the lemon though before bringing it inside because I ALWAYS get those shield bugs and get the sticky on the lemon. It doesn't get them outside, just inside. It's so annoying bc I have all this sticky residue on my window and floors.
I repot the lemon every spring so it's been repotted recently.
I think I WILL spray the lemon though before bringing it inside because I ALWAYS get those shield bugs and get the sticky on the lemon. It doesn't get them outside, just inside. It's so annoying bc I have all this sticky residue on my window and floors.