My Top 5 Care Tips For Your Plant Fam During Fall & Winter Months
With Fall & Winter months bringing shorter days & less light it’s important to make sure your indoor plants are ready for the seasonal changes ups. Below are my top 5 tips for making sure your plant fam thrives through these resting months.
Adjust Watering Habits: As temperatures drop and light levels decrease, you’ll notice that your plants may require less water. You’ll want to adjust your typical watering schedule at this time. It’s important to check the soil moisture before watering. A general rule of thumb I go by is if the top two inches are dry, it’s time for a drink. If you have succulents, make sure the soil is completely dry all the way through before watering. Overwatering plants can lead to root rot. Root rot often leads to death of plants.
Provide Adequate Light : Days are shorter in fall and winter, so you may need to move your plants around to closer light sources or use grow lights to ensure they get enough light during this time. South-facing windows are often the best spots for plants during this time of year.
Maintain Humidity Levels: Indoor heating can dry out the air, which can stress your plants. Especially to any tropical plants you may have. Increase humidity by using a humidifier or grouping plants together. Plants release moisture into the air through a process called transpiration, where water evaporates from their leaves. When you group plants together, the moisture they release accumulates in the surrounding air, raising the humidity in that area. A large percentage of plants sold as houseplants are actually plants from tropical regions and typically prefer humidity levels between 50-75%.
*Succulents and cactus prefer a more arid (dry) environment, so don’t include them with your plant clusterings or around humidifiers.
Monitor Temperature: Keep your plants away from cold drafts from windows or doors, and avoid placing them near heating vents. Most typical houseplants prefer temperatures between 65°F and 80°F (18°C to 24°C).
Fertilize Sparingly: Many plants enter a dormant phase in winter, so reduce or stop fertilizing during this time. Resume feeding in the spring when growth picks up again.