The care of potted plants in autumn and winter is slightly different than during the growing season and may be more difficult. Many houseplants during this period suffer from a lack of light and too warm and dry air in heated apartments. How to help them and how to provide the best conditions for potted plants in autumn and winter?
Taking care of potted plants in autumn and winter - it is worth wiping the dusty leaves with a soft, slightly damp cloth. Remember, however, that this treatment is not beneficial for every plant.
The autumn-winter period is the most difficult for indoor flowers to survive. In accordance with the natural requirements of plants, they should enter a state of rest during this period. To enable them to do so, along with limiting the amount of incoming light, we should lower the temperature in the rooms where the plants live, limit watering them and give up fertilizing.
Providing plants with the right conditions can turn out to be quite difficult. If we cannot provide the plants with the most suitable conditions for them, we should try to help them survive this period at least a little. An important element here will be to achieve a balance between the factors influencing the condition of the plants.
As much light as possible for potted plants
The first such factor is light. In autumn, the day is shorter and the amount of light reaching our apartments becomes much smaller than in the summer season.It may turn out to be insufficient for manypotted plantsThe consequence will be the loss of leaves, or even the death of the entire plant. The least resistant to light deficiencies are plants with bright and variegated leaves.In order to provide plants with as much light as possible, it is worth placing them close to its source, i.e. near the window. Rooms with windows on the south-eastern side are better lit, so it may happen that the plants have to be moved. Let us also pay attention to the fact that a lot of sunlight is taken by the curtains. For the sake of plants, it is worth revealing the window completely.
Dust on the leaves may also be a factor that hinders light from reaching the plant. Therefore,care for potted plants in autumnrequires that they be thoroughly dusted. Vacuum plants that can be moved in the bathroom using a lukewarm water shower. Wipe the leaves of larger plants that cannot be moved with a damp, soft cloth. But beware - leaves covered with hairs, cutter or a wax coating, must not be wiped with a cloth or sponge.
Potted plants that react particularly badly to deficiencies in sunlight , such as all citrus, hibiscus, monstera, dracaena, diffenbachia, anthurium, cheflera and philodendron, should be additionally illuminated. We must also remember that lighting potted plants requires the use of special lamps that emit red and blue light, promoting photosynthesis in plants.
Temperature in autumn and winter
Another factor that we need to pay attention to is temperature. In order to maintain the proportions between the factors influencing the condition of plants, it is necessary, along with reducing the amount of light reaching the plants, also lowering the air temperature in the rooms where the plants live. In practice, it is quite difficult, because we cannot require that we lower the temperature in living quarters to 16 or 18 ° C.If we cannot move the plants to cooler rooms, a certain solution will be to place the plants near the windows or on the window sills, because thanks to the leaks in the windows, it will be slightly cooler in these areas (as long as there is no radiator under the window). However, it should be remembered that sudden cooling down, which can be enough when opening the window to ventilate, can harm the plants. Therefore, for the time of airing, the plants are moved away from the opened window.
Watering potted plants in autumn and winterThe next factor that we should regulate is water.In autumn and winterplants need less water, so watering plants should be limited. The plants should not be watered more often than once every two weeks, only when the soil is dry, remembering that during this period, excess water can be more harmful than its shortage.It is also good to pay attention to air humidity, not only because of plant he alth, but also our own.Electric humidifiers, containers hung on radiators or at least a damp towel placed on the radiator can help here. It is a good idea to place the pots of plants on wide, flat bases filled with small pebbles. Water is poured into the coasters, which will then evaporate from them. Many plants will also benefit from spraying the leaves with dispersed water. Humidification is especially important at the beginning of the heating season, as over time the plants will get used to drier air.
Pests of houseplants in autumn and winter
Due to the too dry air in the heating season and the general weakening of the condition of plants, they are often attacked by pests of potted plants, such as spider mites and scorms. June include mealybugs, scalefish and bowlers, so there are quite a lot of them. When any of these pests appear, it is worth using Shieldma Ultra. The preparation is in the form of sticks, which are placed in the ground.The sticks placed in the substrate gradually release the active substance, which is transported with plant sap to their above-ground parts, and then absorbed by insects sucking the sap from the plant.
Fertilizing potted plants in autumn and winter
The question often arises: is it necessary to fertilizepotted plants in autumn and winterWell, the general rule says that during this period, plants should not be fertilized at all, because they should enter state of rest. However, from reading the text above, it can be seen that creating resting conditions for plants is a fiction, especially due to the excessively high temperature in heated apartments. So, since we force plants to vegetate, we should also fertilize them. Of course, such fertilization must be much less intensive than the one we used in spring and summer. We can use fertilizers dissolved in water in small amounts or fertilizers with a long-lasting effect, such as Osmocote.Of course, possible fertilization during this period must be adjusted to the individual needs of the cultivated species.
Many species grown in our homes (especially plants of tropical origin) will be able to survive the winter in this way, but remember that some plants absolutely must undergo a period of dormancy and we will have to move them to cooler rooms, water them sporadically and not fertilize at all. Such treatment is required, among others. geraniums and fuchsia.
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