Winter Time for Indoor Plant Maintenance: Forget Fertilizing!
You've spent part of spring, summer, and fall tending to your garden and yard. Now's the time to shift your attention to your window sill's foliage friends – your indoor plants. Winter months may seem like the perfect opportunity to pamper your ferns and give your Weeping Fig a good douse of fertilizer, but hold off! Here's why.
Why Not Fertilize Indoor Plants in Winter?
Most of the houseplants we call our own hail from tropical climes. But Amy Simone, a Horticulture Specialist at the University of Vermont Extension, explains that even our winter abodes can have an impact on our gardening buddies.
Routine seasons of scorching summers and biting winters offer tropical plants a sense of comfort and stability until autumn's chill comes creeping in. But Simone suggests that things start to shift then, and plants naturally enter a "resting phase," feeling the effects of cooler temperatures and reduced sunlight.
According to the University of Maryland Extension, decreased temperatures and lower sunlight hours in the winter contribute to slower plant growth. Since houseplants don't expand their roots or sprout during this time, they don't require fertilization.
But won't a little more fertilizer do the plants no harm? Well, maybe, says Simone. Unnecessary or excessive fertilizer can lead to soil salt buildup and eventual plant damage.
Salty Landscapes
If you've over-fertilized your indoor plants during the winter and now notice chalky white salt deposits on the surface of the soil or around the outside of the pot, or if your plant's tips are turning brown or withering, it's time to take action. University of Maryland Extension suggests that you can easily remedy this situation by thoroughly watering the soil with clear water until the pot can hold no more.
When to Begin Fertilizing Again
Simon recommends playing the waiting game when it comes to fertilizing your tropics. They'll know it's time to freshen up their nutrient intake when they start showing signs of new growth, which typically happens in late March.
During winter, tropical plants like the Weeping Fig tend to release fewer aromas, requiring no fertilizer. Instead, allow plants to enter their dormant phase naturally, as the University of Maryland Extension advises. Fertilizing during the winter may harm your indoor plants rather than help them.
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Enrichment Data:
Here are some additional insights to support the main article:
- Reduced Growth: During winter, indoor plants typically experience reduced light and cooler temperatures, which slows down their growth rate. Fertilizing them during this time can be unnecessary and may even cause more harm than good.[1][3][4]
- Salt Buildup: Applying fertilizer during the dormant period can lead to salt buildup in the soil, potentially damaging the plant. This is because the plant is not actively taking in nutrients, and the excess salts can accumulate, causing harm.[3][4]
- Nutrient Deficiency: However, if you notice signs of nutrient deficiency, such as yellowing leaves, it is recommended to apply a diluted liquid fertilizer sparingly, no more than once every six to eight weeks. This is a more cautious approach to ensure the plant's needs are met without causing harm.[3][4]
In practice, these enrichment data points could be integrated into the article as follows: For instance, in the first paragraph: "With less sunlight and cooler temperatures coming into play, winter months slow down the growth of your indoor plants." And later instead of 'Fertilize them during this time', we can say 'You may choose to apply a diluted liquid fertilizer sparingly, once every six to eight weeks, if you notice any signs of nutrient deficiency.'
