Autumn Houseplant Care
by Pamela Kock

When summer breezes turn into chilly autumn winds, lots of things need to be done. If you’re a homeowner, chances are you’re busy putting your outdoor garden to bed for the winter. This is also a good time to pay attention to indoor plants, so they’ll maintain their beauty and cheery greenery during the long winter.

Many areas of the U.S. have already seen frost. If you have houseplants that spent time outdoors over the summer, you might be wondering if they need any special care for the transition. Bringing them inside is usually easier than getting them used to life outdoors in the spring, but they need some attention now as well. Examine them carefully before arranging them with other indoor plants; they may be harboring pests. It’s best to keep them in a separate room for a couple of weeks and observe them. Poke through the soil as well to make sure nothing has made its home in there; you might even consider re-potting with fresh soil at this point. If you do see bugs on your plants, treat them immediately. Treatment may be as simple as giving them a shower in your bathtub (or outside on a warm day) or it may require spraying an insecticide. Be sure to use insecticides that are safe for indoor use.

Some plants may benefit from re-potting in the autumn, but you’ll need to be more careful when doing so this time of year because they’re not going to recover as quickly from damage as they may in the spring and summer. Your plants may be in need of grooming. Using a sharp pair of scissors, snip off anything withered or discolored, or a stem that’s lost its leaves. It’s not a good time to take cuttings, though some types may still take root. If you need to lop off a section of an overgrown pothos vine, for example, why not give it a try?

As the days get shorter, it’s even more important to keep the leaves free of dust so they can absorb as much light as possible. If they’re delicate, squirt them with a mister. If the leaves are tougher, give them a shower in your bathtub or kitchen sink, or wipe them gently with a damp cloth. Speaking of light levels, avoid moving your plants around to give them more light during the winter months. Generally speaking, plants don’t like to move around. They’ll get used to the lower light levels gradually in their present location, and will enter a period of dormancy or slower growth to compensate. Some varieties, however – especially flowering plants – may require supplemental lighting, especially if you want them to bloom out of season.

When you turn on your furnace, humidity may be an issue for your plants. Unless your heating system has a humidifier, you might need to help your plants stay moist during the winter. Misting your plants keeps them clean, but only provides temporary relief from dry air. A better solution is to group them close together and set them on a pebble tray. Fill a shallow container with an inch of pebbles and keep the bottom wet. Dry air is probably the number one reason why plants fail to thrive in winter months. Pests, especially spider mites, capitalize on dry conditions and can defoliate or kill a plant in a matter of weeks if left unchecked; keep your eye out for tell-tale signs such as tiny webs and faded, grayish foliage.

The attention you give your houseplants in autumn pays off big dividends during the winter when everything outside is bleak. Though it’s not a time for growth and blooming, the leaves remain green and cheery and provide a taste of summertime.