Seasons · 4 min read
Houseplants in autumn: less water, more light
The days are getting shorter and the heating is on. Four small changes will see your plants comfortably through the winter.
In October you notice it indoors too. Less light comes through the window, the heating goes on and your plants slow down. That's fine, it's their quiet time of year. But what they need from you does change. These are the four things our growers recommend every autumn.
1. Water less
A plant that grows more slowly uses less water. Keep watering as you did in summer and the soil stays wet for too long. Only water once the top few centimetres are dry. Often that works out at half as often as in summer. A monstera that was watered weekly in July will be happy with every ten to fourteen days in December.
Not sure? Here's how to spot overwatering.
2. Move them closer to the window
Winter daylight is a fraction of what you get in summer. A plant that was perfectly happy two metres from the window in June is better off close to the glass now. Just don't let it touch a cold pane, and bring it out from behind the curtains in the evening. The gap between curtain and window gets properly cold at night.
Dust the leaves as well. A layer of dust blocks light, and in winter every bit counts. A damp cloth is all you need.
3. No feed until March
Plant food is for plants that are growing. In winter they barely use it and the salts build up in the soil. Stop in October and start again in March, when you see the first new leaves.
4. Keep them away from the radiator
A radiator dries out the air and the soil fast. Try not to put plants on a windowsill above the heating, and keep them about half a metre away. Watch out for draughts from a door that's opened a lot, too. Plants that like humid air, such as calathea and alocasia, are happiest grouped together in winter. Or in a bathroom with a window.
Dropping a leaf is normal
Has your plant lost a leaf or two this autumn? Don't panic. The fiddle-leaf fig in particular reacts to lower light by dropping an old leaf. Give it a bright, fixed spot and leave it there. It doesn't like being moved around.
Big plants in the autumn sale
A big plant makes the dark months a lot greener. Until 31 October, all large plants are 15% off. Think of the bird of paradise, the fiddle-leaf fig and the kentia palm.
Plants of a metre or taller are delivered by our own driver at no extra cost. When it's cold we pack them with insulation, and in a hard frost we'd rather wait a day. If that happens, we'll let you know.
