How do you prepare houseplants for fall/autumn?
Get your houseplants ready for fall/autumn with expert tips! Discover how to care for your houseplants during the changing seasons. I'll guide you through the process, ensuring your plants thrive and stay healthy. Let's go on this plant care journey together, preparing your indoor garden for the colder days of the year.
Key learnings from this plant care guide
- Adjust your watering schedule for fall to prevent overwatering and root rot.
- Move your plants closer to windows to provide them with enough light during shorter days.
- Be mindful of extreme temperature changes by placing plants away from drafty windows and heaters.
- Maintain a stable indoor temperature within the preferred range for houseplants.
Spring and summer are the time of year when your houseplants grow quickly and put out several new leaves. It's also the best time of year to propagate your plants. But once fall starts, you'll quickly notice that your plants stop growing.
It might not be a surprise, but with the changing seasons, you should also adjust your plant care routine. But what should you do to help your plant stay healthy in the fall? That's what this plant care guide is for!
In this comprehensive plant care guide, you'll find expert tips and advice on how to help your houseplants in autumn. From adjusting your watering schedules to giving your plants a little more light, I'll walk you through a detailed care routine to keep your indoor garden thriving even as temperatures drop.
These are the topics we're going to cover:
Whether you're a seasoned plant parent or a beginner, we're ready to start this exciting plant care journey together. So, let's dive in and get our houseplants autumn-ready!
Why do houseplants need special care during fall/autumn?
Fall or Autumn marks a significant change in our environment. As the cooler weather and shorter days roll in, indoor plant owners need to adapt their care routines. And here's why!
How does the change of seasons affect houseplants?
For our houseplants, the change from summer to fall isn't just about a drop in outdoor temperatures. It also changes in daylight hours and indoor heating conditions, all of which have a huge impact on your houseplants.
During the warm, summer months, houseplants are usually in a growth phase enjoying the sunlight and relatively stable indoor conditions. As autumn starts, the lesser daylight hours and changing indoor temperatures can cause your usually happy plants to become stressed.
To best help our houseplants, it's important to understand these seasonal transitions and their effects. In the next section, we will learn more about the specific care that houseplants need during this season.
Preparing your houseplants for fall/autumn
When fall starts, there are a few things you can do to help your plant thrive, even when it's colder and darker outside. It's essential to prepare them for these seasonal changes to prevent them from getting stressed. Here's a simple step-by-step guide to help make the transition smoother.
Step 1: Lowering water intake
Did you know that most houseplants need less water in the cooler months than during summer? That's because they enter a rest mode due to less sunlight, called dormancy. Besides being dormant, the warm sunlight doesn't evaporate the moisture in the soil as quickly anymore.
To accommodate this change, you have to reduce the number of times you water your plants to prevent overwatering, which can lead to root rot. However, don't let them dry out completely. Adjust the frequency based on your plant's type and requirements, not all plants have the same care requirements.
Step 2: Adjusting light sources
As the days get shorter, less sunlight reaches your indoor plants. In the spring and summer, when the sunlight is hot and bright, your plants do well in a bright, but indirect spot. During the fall, to make sure your plants get enough light, you'll need to move them closer to windows, where they can enjoy the most sun.
It might seem a little strange to expose your houseplants to direct sunlight during the fall, but this is fine this time of year. The strength of the sunlight is not strong enough to cause sunburns and it'll give your plants the right amount of sunlight.
If you don't have a good natural light source, consider getting a grow lights or another artificial light source to ensure they get the light they need.
Step 3: Changing plant position
So you'll want to move your plants closer to windows, but don't place them right up to the windows. The windows will be cold during this time of year and placing your plants right up to the windows will cause extreme temperature changes between the day and night.
When rearranging your plants to get more light, also consider moving them away from drafty windows and heaters to avoid sudden temperature drops or rises. You'll want to give your plants a spot with the most stable growing conditions possible.
Step 4: Controlling indoor temperature
Most houseplants prefer temperatures between 18 and 24 degrees Celsius (65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day and slightly cooler at night. Keep an eye on your thermostat and try to maintain a temperature within this range.
If you can, it's a good idea to set the temperature a little lower during the night and warmer during the day. This reflects the temperature changes during the day and night in their natural habitat. You don't have to overthink this, because houseplants generally prefer the same temperatures during the day and night as you.
Step 5: Increasing the humidity
The fall season often means dryer air due to central heating, which is not ideal for many houseplants. To maintain the appropriate humidity, place your plants on a water-filled tray with pebbles, so they're not sitting directly in water, or use a humidifier. Remember, regular misting can help certain humidity-loving plants like ferns and orchids.
Common mistakes to avoid when preparing houseplants for fall/autumn
Everyone makes mistakes, which is fine as long as you learn from them. Let's look at some of the most common mistakes plant owners make when preparing their plants for fall, so you won't have to make the mistake and deal with the consequences.
Overwatering your plant in the fall
As we've already discovered, we should water our plants less during the fall and even less during the winter. One common mistake is to forget about this and keep watering your plants as you were during the summer.
In the summer, the plant was growing and moisture evaporated from the soil more quickly, because of the warmer environment. Your water schedule worked great for your plant, but this excellent water schedule will overwater your plant in the fall and winter.
During this time of year, I have a rule of thumb for figuring out the watering frequency of my plants. I take half the time it took for the soil to dry out in the summer and add it to the current timeframe. For example, if I watered my plant every 7 days in the summer, in the fall I would water it every 10 days. As winter approaches, the watering interval might extend to once every 14 days.
Before watering, always make sure to check the soil and see if it's dry to the touch. If not, wait 1-2 days and try again. I recommend regularly checking the soil to figure out exactly how long it takes for your plant to need to be watered again.
Forgetting to check for pests before bringing plants indoors
Another common mistake is forgetting to check for pests before bringing your plants indoors. Pests can quickly spread to your other indoor plants, causing widespread damage.
Before you bring your plants inside, thoroughly inspect the leaves (front and back), stems, and even the soil for any signs of pests. If you detect anything suspicious, treat the plant and ensure it's pest-free before introducing it to your indoor plant family.
My strategy with any new plant, not just plants you bring indoors for the fall and winter, is to keep them isolated from the rest of your plants for at least 2 weeks. During this time you allow yourself to find potential pests and you avoid infecting any of your healthy plants at the same time.
Forgetting to move plants to brighter spots
It's easy to forget, or ignore, to move your plants to bright spots in your house. It can be quite a bit of work if you have a lot of plants. Besides, your plants were doing fine in the spring and summer in the spot you gave them.
Remember, the days in fall and winter are much darker, so your plant won't get as much light if you keep it in the same spot as during the sunnier time of year. By moving your plants to brighter spots, you help the plant to still photosynthesize and keep itself healthy.
Thank you for reading this post! I hope it helps you to keep your plants healthy and beautiful! If you're looking for more guides on specific plants, you can always request a plant guide to get a guide for the plant you have trouble with.
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