Fall in the Pacific Northwest

Now that temperatures are falling and nights are getting longer, your plants – both indoors and out – will require different care than they received in Spring and Summer.

While indoor plants will not go completely dormant, they will need less water and fertilizer. Your technician will test the soil carefully before watering. It is very easy to overwater in the winter. This, especially when combined with fertilizer, will force plants to continue to grow. Unfortunately, in the low light conditions of a Northwest fall and winter, the growth will be weak and spindly, making your plants prey to all sorts of pests and diseases.

Plantscapes’ technicians will groom your plants and water carefully to encourage compact, healthy foliage.

If you have trouble at home, however, with leggy houseplants, aphids, or mealy bugs, try cutting back on the how much and how often you water. Stop fertilizing entirely until spring. If you aren’t sure how wet – or dry – the soil should be, talk to your Plantscapes’ technician on his or her next visit.  They’ll be happy to advise you.

Outdoor plants may go fully dormant. Turf, for instance, stops growing during the winter. This is the season to encourage deep root growth, not top growth.

Of course, our heavy winter rains make regular irrigation unnecessary. The Plantscapes’ irrigation team will visit your property to turn off your irrigation and to winterize your system. 

Some plants may need to be protected from freezing temperatures. While Plantscapes always selects shrubs and foliage suited to the Northwest, all plants are at risk for root damage in the winter. Variations in temperature can cause the ground to freeze and then thaw. This creates a condition known as “heaving.” If the ground thaws after a hard freeze, it expands. Plants’ roots may be forced closer to the surface by the movement of the earth. There, they may be damaged by the next hard frost.

The best way to protect plants’ root is a good layer of mulch.

If you have plantings in areas that are subject to repeated freezing and thawing, talk to your Customer Service representative about Plantscapes’ bark service. An inch of mulch will protect tender roots in the winter and conserve water in the summer.

Photo by ricardo.martins Released under Creative Commons License