With the changing of the seasons comes changes to how to care for your houseplants. Help your houseplants thrive in fall with these helpful tips to keep plants healthy and thriving until next spring.
Less food and water
With the drop in outside temperatures, and the decrease of daylight, your plants will probably require less frequent watering and fertilizing. The water that you do give your plants will also last longer as the soil will dry out more slowly. Sitting in wet soil can lead to fungus and root rot issues. Let the top 3 centimetres of soil dry out between waterings. Feeding your houseplants in the fall when they are dormant can lead to fertilizer burn. Forget about fertilizer and plant food until the growing season begins again next spring.
Light levels
With daylight dwindling, it's important to ensure your houseplants are receiving enough light. You may want to move them to a sunnier spot. Be sure to rotate your plants to make sure the light is hitting them from all angles. If your plants begin to lean toward the light (phototropism), they are not being evenly illuminated.
Trimming and pruning
As your plants adjust to the lower light levels of fall, they may begin to drop some leaves.
Help them along by trimming them back a bit for fall. Remove any brown or yellowing leaves. Pruning will actually help them grow back lush and bushy. Gently wipe down healthy leaves with a damp cloth.
Humidity
Fall and winter often result in indoor air becoming much drier. To increase the humidity for your houseplants, you can mist them with water every few days and/or place plants of the same kind close together. You may want to consider a humidifier to keep the air in your apartment from drying out. A humidifier can benefit human health, too!
Caring for houseplants during fall and winter requires a bit of special attention. Avoid placing plants in drafty areas, or near heating and air conditioning vents. With a little care, your plants can survive and thrive well into next spring.
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