[Logic n' Reason]

Question to all: I live in an apartment; it is about to become "winter" where all outside air access is gone and the hours of daylight diminish.

How best to prepare my many houseplants for the siege?? New potting soil? Bigger pots? Fertilizer? Lighting? Water with tap vs. distilled water?

Any and all suggestions would help....

[bgill]

Don’t repot anything until next spring. Yes, they need light so place them by a window and leave the curtains open so sunlight will come in. Close the cutrains on freezing nights. As for water, it depends on the chemicals the city has added to your tap water. Just use whatever water you’ve been using since they’re happy with it. People have killed their container plants when using water softener water (hmm, buy a clue, if it kills plants and you’re drinking it...). Can you set out a rain barrel?

[Mrs. Don-o]

Off the top of my head:

• Reduce or cease fertilizer. Your rate of growth will naturally slow or stop, and fertilizer in a natural slow-growth period will rot your roots.
• If your apartment air is dry, you could try misting the leaves, but do not actually water until the soil feels dry to the touch. (At that point, soak from the bottom.) Over-frequent-watering (during dormant period) will encourage various molds, mosses, fungi. Not what you want.
• And ---get as much light as you can get. South exposure important. If you don't have a south-facing -window --- oh,dear--- East will do in a pinch. Grow lights if you think they're worth the expense.

Good luck!