Fall Houseplant Care: 7 Key Tasks to Do for Happier Plants
As summer comes to an end and we start to retreat indoors, all of my attention turns to my beloved houseplants. Fall can be a challenging time for them, with lower light levels being the biggest hurdle. So, to navigate this seasonal shift, I always work through a fall houseplant care checklist that takes care of my plants’ needs.
These tasks look after indoor plants of all kinds during the fall season. From less frequent watering, to pruning away summer damage, and even improving humidity for your moisture-loving plants, there’s much to do over the coming weeks to keep your indoor garden looking happy and healthy.
With this summer having been particularly scorching, you might find your houseplants are a little more worn out than in previous years. So, with your houseplant care kit in hand (especially a houseplant watering can, like this metal one on Amazon), now is the time to start rejuvenating them before the harshest conditions of winter arrive – you might even get one last burst of new leaves.
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1. Clean Houseplant Leaves
(Image credit: Future)
If you’re anything like me, remembering to clean your houseplant leaves can fall to the back of your mind until you suddenly spot a layer of dust dulling their foliage.
‘Fall is a great time to clean the leaves of your indoor plants. Dust can block your plants from doing all the great photosynthesis they need to. So, before the says get shorter, take a damp microfiber cloth (from Walmart) and wipe down all the leaves,’ says Lindsey Chastain, plant expert and founder at The Waddle and Cluck.
‘If you have fuzzy leaves like African violets, don’t spray or use water. Just use a soft brush (like this one from Amazon)‘ she adds.
I picked up these soft Amazon houseplant dusting gloves last year and they’ve made it super simple to remove dust from leaves in one swipe.
Another reason fall is a good time to clean houseplants is because it’s a busy time for houseplant pests, as they retreat indoors to the warmth of your home.
Check underneath plant leaves for any hiding insects (especially spider mites which like dust) and act accordingly to get rid of them. Our guide to getting rid of spider mites has more advice you may find helpful.
Lindsey Chastain, a dedicated homesteader and skilled writer, is the driving force behind The Waddle and Cluck, a platform that celebrates sustainable living, gardening, and responsible farming
2. Prune Damaged Leaves Only
(Image credit: Future / Catherine Gratwicke)
Even if you follow summer houseplant care correctly, many indoor plants can experience leaf scorch, droop, and generally look tired after a hot summer. In early fall, it’s time to remove these damaged leaves.
‘Stick to a light clean-up, just snipping off dry, yellow leaves, or dead blooms to let more light reach the healthy parts of the plant,’ says Plantum plant expert Marina Prokaten.
‘Hold off on heavy shaping or cutting back main stems right now. Big cuts prompt fresh, weak growth, and your plant won’t have the energy to keep those new shoots alive through winter,’ she explains.
While it’s true some houseplants will put out the last few new leaves for the season in early fall, major pruning may only weaken the plant before winter. If you need to shape your plant to encourage more growth, it’s best to wait until spring.
Instead, keep your pruning minimal. Focus on removing damaged and diseased plant material using essential pruning tools, like these bypass pruning shears from Amazon. I also like these micro-tip plant snips from Lowe’s for more precise cuts, such as removing spent orchid blooms.
Marina Prokaten is a resident plant expert for the Plantum app, which helps users identify plant species, diagnose their conditions, and get specific care advice. She has three years of experience consulting on botany-related topics for Plantum.
3. Bring Houseplants Back Indoors
(Image credit: Anna Blazhuk/Moment/Getty Images)
Houseplants love to spend some time outdoors in summer, soaking up the sun and some fresh air. But, in late summer-early fall, it’s important to move your houseplants back indoors to protect them from colder conditions.
‘Check them very carefully before bringing them inside,’ advises Lindsey. ‘Check the undersides of leaves, look at the stems, and look at the surface of your dirt. Look for things like spider mites, mealy bugs, and gnats. Anything that would be easier to deal with outside before you bring the plant in and bring all of those pests inside,’ she says.
It can be a good idea to shower your houseplants when you bring them back in, removing pests, dirt, and debris, and refreshing them for fall indoors.
You may also want to use this organic neem oil spray from Amazon on your plant’s leaves as a precaution. It deters and gets rid of a wide range of houseplant pests.
4. Reposition Your Plants for Better Light
(Image credit: brizmaker via Getty Images)
Although daylight doesn’t deplete in fall as much as in winter, it will gradually decline with fewer hours of the bright light your plants need to perform essential plant processes. For this reason, it’s important to reposition houseplants accordingly.
‘Light is the biggest seasonal change indoors. A plant that was happy a few feet from a window in summer may need to move closer in fall,’ says houseplant expert Rosalin Ortega.
‘I like to rotate houseplants, clean dusty leaves, and move sun-loving plants closer to bright, indirect light,’ she adds.
Houseplant rotation in particular can be a useful method in fall. It consists of turning your plants around every few days so they receive equal light, resulting in a more symmetrical, healthy shape.
Grow lights for houseplants can also help boost light levels at this time of year (I like this Amazon grow light with a timer). Or, use a tiered plant shelf (like this from Wayfair) to create more space for plants by your brightest windows.
Rosalin Ortega is the founder of All About Planties, an online houseplant shop helping beginners choose plants they can actually keep alive. She shares practical, real-world guidance on indoor plant care
5. Water Less Frequently
(Image credit: Maritxu22 / Alamy Stock Photo)
You may have found your houseplants were extra thirsty in the summer heat, with soil drying out more quickly and active growth requiring lots of hydration (though, more water is not always the solution to why your houseplants are thirstier).
As we move into fall, and room temperatures cool down, your houseplants will naturally need less water. It’s important to reduce your watering frequency accordingly to prevent houseplant root rot and pest problems.
‘In fall, I start checking the soil before watering instead of following a fixed schedule. Plants usually dry out more slowly because there is less light and less active growth. I still water deeply when needed, but I wait until the top inch or two of soil feels dry for most common houseplants,’ Rosalin suggests.
Checking soil before watering houseplants is the best method to ensure your plants stay hydrated without waterlogging the soil and causing hydrophobic houseplants.
I prefer to use this soil moisture meter from Amazon to check the soil, as it can give me a reading for further down in the pot. You can also opt for a plant pot with a saucer (Wayfair has lovely glazed ceramic ones) to use the bottom watering houseplants method.
6. Boost Humidity Levels
(Image credit: Mariya Borisova via Getty Images)
Indoor humidity levels can be problematic in fall and winter.
‘Fall is usually associated with poor humidity: it either drops too low or rises to the point of dampness,’ says Marina Prokaten.
It’s the drier air that can be tricky for tropical indoor plants in particular. To save foliage going wrinkly and crisping up, consider ways to increase humidity for indoor plants in fall.
This includes installing this portable humidifier from Walmart, placing your plants on this Amazon pebble humidity tray, or moving your plants closer together.
Just remember excess moisture can attract certain pests, so it’s wise to use this humidity meter from Amazon to monitor levels in your home.
7. Stop Fertilizing Your Plants
(Image credit: Catherine Gratwicke/Future)
While houseplant fertilizer (like this Miracle-Gro indoor plant feed from Walmart) provides a boost of essential plant nutrients through the active growth season of spring and summer, fall calls for less feeding because our plants are slowing down.
‘Houseplants do not need fertilizer on a set schedule. As we move into the fall and plants are growing less because there’s lower light and shorter days, it does not need the same feeding schedule as it does during the growing seasons of spring and summer,’ Lindsey Chastain explains. ‘Fertilizer is intended to encourage growth, and fall is not a growth period,’ she adds.
It can actually cause your plants harm to fertilize them in fall, as Marina Prokaten notes: ‘The roots aren’t able to absorb all the nutrients they receive from fertilization, so extra feeding doesn’t do it any good.’
A build-up of salts can burn plant roots and cause discolored foliage.
Shop Our Houseplant Edit
You can embrace the incoming season by incorporating some of the best houseplants for fall color in your home. They’re all simple enough to care for and bring fiery hues to your interiors.
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