5 Tips to Get Your Houseplants Ready for Fall/Winter
For most plants, moving indoors for the winter after summer outside can be very stressful.
Changing a plant’s environment can be incredibly stressful on a plant. Think about it: plants can’t really move in their natural habitats, so when we move them indoors form outdoors, it’s not their favorite thing. Here are some things you can do to help your plant’s stress level.
Acclimate
Keep in mind that when you move your plant, especially a big move from out to in, it is going to basically freak out. It needs time to adjust. You may notice reactions to the move, such as sudden leaf drop, but this is just your plant adjusting to its new environment. Give it time - and hold off on watering or feeding for about two weeks. This will help you plant acclimate more smoothly.
Neem oil is our pest preventative of choice. You can find it at both locations.
Pest Control
Pest control is really important when moving plants from outdoors to indoors. This is because one infestation can take over all your plants in closer quarters. They might have also picked up some bugs while on summer vacation. It’s important to treat them with neem oil before and after you move then; if they are already inside, keep up with your pest control plan in winter. Learn more about plant pests here.
A plant will tell you when it’s had enough food and water. The crusty white substance on this pot is a result of too much food/fertilizer.
Leave Them Alone
So yeah… this one is hard. During a transition (moving, seasonal, etc.) it is best to leave the plant alone. This means no pruning, no repotting (save this for spring), no watering and no feeding for at least 2 weeks after you move a plant inside and/or the temperature outside drops. We often think we are helping a plant by watering, feeding, etc, and we are, but a plant does not need to be smothered with attention as it’s acclimating to a new space or season.
Some tropical foliage plants can be tricky to keep happy in the winter. For best results, try a humidifer. Learn more here.
Get a Grow Light
It is unlikely that you will need one, but if you are concerned your plants won’t get enough light in the winter, get a grow light. They can be especially helpful for folks in basement apartments or on heavily shaded property. We carry several types in store; see the shopkeep for assistance.
Get a Humidifier
Humidity. We talk about it a lot. But for real, it’s super important. It can be especially helpful for tropical plants when we turn the heat in our homes on. HVAC can cause supremely dry air in our homes, which is not ideal to many plants. A humidifier, or even humidity tray, can be helpful in creating moist air for your plants.