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SAY HELLO TO THE NEW OUTSIDE IN FORUM
This is a space for you to post any question you may have about your plants; I am happy to discuss anything you may have on your botanic brain. My favorite outcome of running this blog so far is that I get so many DM's and texts from people asking me about their plants. The likelihood that you and another person are struggling with the same issue is pretty high, so my hope is that by making these interactions into a public forum, we can reach more plant parents looking for help.
Just like the rest of this blog, my intention is to make information easy to understand and accessible. Please don't worry that your plant question might sound basic or silly, we have ALL been there, and there's no better place to start than with the fundamentals.
If you can upload a picture or two along with your question or comment, I can better assess the situation and try to help. And make sure to follow the post so you can see my response and any follow up questions I may have.
We can all use to learn a thing or two about our plant friends, so let's talk!
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Hi Sharon, thanks for asking! My guess is you're right on track. Even though most of the plants that we keep indoors as houseplants are from tropical climates, they definitely respond to changes in season. This is mostly because the combination of shorter day length, colder temperatures, and lower sun angle in the fall and winter means that the environment inside of your home has changed, which tropical plants aren't as used to. This can be exacerbated if you are using the same maintenance methods and schedule that you would use in summer or spring.
My suggestion is to reevaluate how you are caring for your plants in the new season. Because there is less sunlight coming through your windows, and likely not coming as deep into your house, maybe cluster the plants closer to a south facing window, or one less obstructed by trees and plants outside. You can also supplement the natural light with grow lights, but I don't think that is necessary unless you have plants that have very high light requirements that seem to be struggling, such as palms or crotons.
Also, avoid having plants too close to air vents or heaters as the fast swings in temperature and dry hot air can disrupt the hormones in the plant that are alerting them of the season change and allowing them to adapt accordingly. If the air in your house is dry, you can add in a humidifier as well.
And probably most importantly, adjust your watering schedule. My advice is to always, no matter the season, touch the plants soil to determine if it needs water. Because it colder, and there is less light, your plants will transpire less, and take up less water. Reduce both the frequency and the volume of water you are giving your plants. Only water when your plants are almost all the way dry, but don't let them go dry for weeks at a time as it will be harder to get them to perk back up when they go limp.
Changing of seasons doesn't mean your plants need less attention, just a different kind of attention. As usual, play with it, move them around, experiment and see what they like. Best of luck! 🍁