During the fall and winter, indoor plants won’t require any fertilizer, but they might enjoy one last treat. Plant Mom advises doing this right away, while the earth is still damp, right after a shower. Plant Mom advises using a liquid all-purpose fertilizer at half the recommended dosage, not making it a full meal.
Is fertilizing indoor plants in the fall acceptable?
In the autumn, houseplants require specialized care because they are beginning to enter their winter hibernation. Use this checklist to modify your indoor plant care schedule for the fall.
Slow down on watering
Reduce the quantity of water you give your indoor plants in the fall to help with the transition. This will serve as a helpful reminder to them that their rest period is about to start.
The majority of indoor plants use less water in the winter than they do in the summer. As a result, during the coldest months of the year when they are dormant, there is a much increased risk of overwatering them.
Therefore, take great care not to exert yourself too much during the fall. Allow the soil to dry out a little bit more than usual.
If you struggle with this, invest in a soil moisture sensor to make it simple to determine when they want watering. Find out more about watering indoor plants here.
Provide more light for them
As the days become shorter, our indoor plants will receive less sunshine in the fall. Moving them to a location with more light is therefore a smart idea.
Most of mine are in or close to my bright south-facing windows. They will receive more natural light as a result of this. You can install a grow light if your home doesn’t have any windows that face south.
Wean them off fertilizer
You shouldn’t fertilize houseplants in the fall because they are preparing to become dormant. However, avoid stopping suddenly. Instead, it would be wise to gradually wean them off.
Some people react to this more strongly than others. You can lessen the shock of seasonal shift by gradually reducing the fertilizer dose you feed them.
Therefore, reduce the amount of fertilizer you feed them by half as the temperatures begin to cool off in the late summer. Then gradually reduce the dose until you stop fertilizing your indoor plants in the fall.
Bring them back inside
Early in the fall, before the weather turns cold, is the ideal time to bring indoor plants back inside. Long-term exposure to the cold could make the adjustment considerably more difficult for them. Additionally, nobody wants to risk inadvertent freezing or frost damage!
Plan to bring them inside before it drops below 60 degrees Fahrenheit outside. By doing this, you can prevent the drastic temperature changes that, in the fall, can injure your houseplants.
Debug them initially to help prevent any significant pest outbreaks. Before bringing indoor houseplants in the fall, learn how to debug them.
Should the fall and winter months be fertilized for indoor plants?
Do indoor plants need fertilizer throughout the winter? Because most indoor plants are not growing throughout the winter, fertilization is typically not required. In the spring and summer, when plants are actively growing, indoor gardeners should fertilize their houseplants on a regular basis.
What time of year should I stop fertilizer my houseplants?
When indoor plants get thirsty, they wilt. When their leaves don’t receive enough sunshine, they become pale and lanky. They get crispy at low humidity levels, while they may go rotten at high humidity levels. It is far more difficult to determine when to fertilize houseplants. Other than possibly delayed or sluggish development, which is often scarcely noticed by houseplant parents, your plant won’t provide you a direct signal that it’s time to feed it. Therefore, you’ll have to take matters into your own hands and utilize houseplant fertilizer on a schedule that is dependent on their growing cycle rather than waiting for a signal from the plant.
There’s no need to unnecessarily complicate the process, but each particular houseplant has slightly variable requirements for houseplant fertilizer levels and frequency. Yes, you could research the specific nutritional requirements of each species of houseplant you look after, but in reality, the vast majority of common houseplants have fertilizer requirements that are sufficiently similar that treating them in a single way is more than sufficient to meet their nutritional needs. It’s true that some houseplants require more food than others. However, a timetable for fertilizing houseplants like the one below provides a solid compromise that both satisfies heavy feeders and prevents you from overfeeding houseplants that just need a little fertilizer.
Here is the recommended fertilizer regimen for the majority of indoor plants. It is based on the growing season’s cycle, which, despite being indoors where temperatures are more stable, affects houseplants in a manner similar to how it affects outdoor plants.
Should indoor plants be fertilized in October?
As a general rule, only fertilize indoor plants when they are actively growing. While they are dormant, feeding them might cause their foliage to burn or even result in their death.
Don’t overfertilize your plants. Follow the instructions on the product you’re using because using too much can be just as bad as using too little. You should halve the concentration of liquid fertilizers if you want to be safe.
Adjust Your Watering Routine
Although it may seem contradictory, the majority of indoor plants require less water in the winter. Despite the fact that winter air is dryer, plants develop more slowly and some even fall into complete dormancy during the colder months. As a result, plants require less water to maintain their hydration, and overwatering can cause root rot. Remember that different plants require varied amounts of water. Drought-tolerant cacti and other succulents may not require any watering, whilst certain tropical plants may still need more frequent watering.
Winter months can cause surface soil to dry up more quickly, but it isn’t necessarily a sign that the plant needs water. When the soil is dry an inch or two below the surface, test it with your finger; if it is, it’s time to get the watering can out.
Tip
Do not water your houseplants with cold water. To prevent shocking the roots of the plant, use water that is close to room temperature. In some winter climates, tap water can become very chilly; thus, wait several hours before using it to water your plants. This kind of gradual warming also enables dissolved gases, such chlorine, to evaportate from the water.
Alter Humidity Levels
The largest challenge that indoor plants face throughout the winter months is often low humidity levels. Plants like a humidity level that is closer to 50%, which might drop to 10 to 20% in heated homes during the winter. If your home has a humidifier, move your plants there so they can benefit from it. If you don’t have a humidifier, find another way to increase the humidity.
Organize your plants first into groupings. Plants naturally release water through their leaves through transpiration, thus combining them will make good use of that moisture. Because they absorb moisture from showers and cooking, bathrooms and kitchens are the greatest places to keep plants.
The age-old method of putting your plants on or close to a tray of water is another excellent choice. But avoid letting the plants submerge themselves in the water. Put stones or pebbles in the tray to elevate the pots’ bottoms above the water line, then set the pots on top of the stones. By doing this, humidity levels will rise without encouraging root rot.
Instead than helping the plants, misting usually works better at making the gardener feel good about themselves. You might believe that spraying your plants will provide them with some comfort, however misting just provides a brief burst of moisture. Because indoor temperatures allow moisture to evaporate quickly, misting is necessary several times a day to be effective. Try misting if you only have a few plants and believe you will be really diligent about it. An indoor plant may rarely be over-mist. Misting plants in humid summers can result in fungal issues, but this shouldn’t be a concern in the winter.
Pay Attention to Temperature
Like most people, most plants thrive in temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit at night and between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. Keep your plants away from heat sources like radiators, ovens, fireplaces, and electronics in order to give them that, as well as from chilly drafts. Houseplants can die from temperature changes just as quickly as from extended exposure to heat or cold.
Follow the Sun
In addition to having fewer daylight hours, wintertime sunlight also comes in at a lower angle. Your houseplants might need to be moved to a brighter location or even given more light. An all-day sunny window with a south or west orientation is an ideal location. Moving plants next to a chilly window, however, should be avoided since they might experience a draft.
Every time you water your plants, rotate the pots by roughly a quarter of a turn. This prevents some branches from reaching for the light, allowing the plant to grow evenly and receive some sun on all sides.
The amount of light that reaches plant leaves can also be diminished by layers of dust. This dust can be removed from leaves with a moist cloth, giving plants more access to light during the winter.
Plants will need to be exposed to the grow lights for extended periods of time in regions where the winter sun is essentially nonexistent and where the majority of their light comes from supplemental lighting. If a plant needs six hours of direct sunshine, it can also require an additional 12 or 14 hours of light to provide the same amount of energy. Grow lights are far less strong than sunlight, thus plants require more time under them to absorb enough energy.
Put Your Houseplants on a Diet
Because they are not growing as quickly in the winter, the majority of houseplants don’t require any fertilizer. Stop feeding them until early spring as continuing to do so would only disrupt their natural cycle. Resuming fertilization will give them a boost for the growing season if you start to notice new growth or the present leaves seem to be turning greener.
Some tropical plants grow rather actively all winter long, especially vining climbers or trailers, and they may still need some feeding, but often at decreased rates.
What happens if plants are fertilized in the winter?
The best fertilizer to use in the winter is one that has a lower nitrogen content and a higher potassium content because this will assist the plant maintain its strength and health throughout the season.
The leaves of the plants may grow softer and more prone to disease if they receive an excessive amount of nitrogen throughout the winter.
How should indoor plants be winterized?
Your indoor plants might benefit from upkeep in the fall so they are refreshed for spring.
- Your plants must be brought inside before the overnight low temperature falls below 45 degrees (F). At temperatures below 40 degrees, and for some tropical plants even below 50 degrees, harm will occur.
- Before bringing plants back inside, check them for pests and diseases and apply the relevant treatments. Insects can be removed from the soil by soaking the pot in a tub of lukewarm water for about 10 minutes. Take a shower before bringing your plants inside. Spray the leaves from the undersides as well, using your garden hose’s mist or shower setting.
- Repot plants into bigger containers if necessary, ensuring sure to go one size up.
- For instance, 4 inches to 6 inches and 6 inches to 8 inches.
- Use a pair of razor-sharp scissors or other handheld pruning tools to remove any dead leaves or branches.
- Expose plants progressively to lower illumination levels before bringing indoor houseplants back inside to avoid shock. If plants are in a sunny location, transfer them into bright shade a few weeks before the move is scheduled to take place. It is extremely typical for the plant to lose a few leaves after being brought inside. Don’t freak out if this happens; it’s natural!
- The majority of houseplants, with the exception of African Violets, won’t require fertilizing over the winter.
Wilson’s, one of the largest garden centers in central Ohio, began as a modest farm market in 1958. We have greenhouses covering more than 2 acres that are always stocked with annuals, perennials, shrubs, herbs, fruits, veggies, indoor plants, and more. Many of the plants we sell are grown right here on the premises. Additionally, for the previous ten years, we have won the Consumer’s Choice Award for Central Ohio.
Why don’t you feed plants during the winter?
In the colder months, light levels are reduced, which means that houseplants will naturally grow more slowly and require less water and food as a result.
They don’t require additional nutrients if they aren’t expending as much energy. Anything you give them will therefore probably end up in the ground where it will eventually burn its roots and kill the plant.
How should my indoor plants be winterized?
We all require light, but because the days are so brief in the winter, it can be difficult to acquire much of it. Like people, plants require light to survive, even indoor plants. Homes only receive a limited amount of light throughout the winter, and if your home doesn’t face the appropriate direction, you might only receive light via select rooms and windows.
Be ready to relocate your plants over the winter to locations with windows and light. For the most light, make sure the windows are thoroughly cleaned both inside and out. In order for the leaves to properly absorb that light, make sure that any dust that has amassed on them has been removed.
Which plants ought to be fertilized sparingly?
Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), false indigo (Baptisia australis), asters, pinks (Dianthus spp.), rock roses (Helianthemum spp.), sea holly (Eryngium spp.), bee balm (Monarda didyma), speedwell (Veronica spp.), and coneflowers (Echinacea spp.) are perennial plants that thrive without
How frequently should you fertilize indoor plants?
When indoor plants are actively growing in the spring and summer, fertilize them. Use a fertilizer that is complete and contains potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen. Fertilizers for indoor plants can be found in liquid, crystal, granular, spike, and tablet form. Depending on the product, application frequency might range from once every two weeks to once every three to four months. Read the directions on the label attentively.
During the winter, avoid fertilizing indoor plants. Winter is when most indoor plants do not grow vigorously and do not require fertilization.