Plant Lab Tips: Fall
With the arrival of fall, the Plant Lab has a few tips for plant parents:
You may not need to water your houseplants as frequently as you think - colder temps & shorter days will likely slow growth in many houseplants, and soil will stay wet for much longer.
Check the placement of your plants; if the sun spends more or less time in certain windows during different seasons you may need to change up the placement of houseplants.
With slower or stalled growth, fertilizers can be dangerous if the plant is unable to metabolize the nutrients added. Be very careful with dosage, or wait until spring.
Many tropical houseplants do not like cold temperatures; check your home periodically for drafts and cold night temps - windows tend to be surprisingly cold at night.
Repotting plants can be stressful, and may require more energy than the plant can produce to be successfully transplanted - only repot if absolutely necessary during winter.
