You Probably Don't Need To Fertilize Your Houseplants In Winter—Here's Why

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Everyone wants thriving and happy houseplants. Fertilizing is an important component for healthy plants yet house temperatures and the amount of light a plant receives will influence how fast or slow a plant grows. Unlike outdoor plants that are more influenced by the weather and may tend to go dormant in cold temperatures, houseplants don't typically stop growing entirely. They do have their growth cycle, often slowing down in the winter when plants typically receive less light. In winter, days are shorter and have lower light levels. «Since light is the fuel for plant growth, most plants see significantly less growth during the winter months,» says Justin Hancock, a horticulturist for Costa Farms, one of the largest horticultural growers in the world, headquartered in Florida. Plants that are growing at a slower rate likely won't need fertilizer. Yet there are nuances to know to determine if reducing how often you fertilize is a good idea.

• Justin Hancock is a horticulturist for Costa Farms, one of the largest horticultural growers in the world, headquartered in Florida.
• Leslie F. Halleck is a certified professional horticulturist and author of Gardening Under Lights, in Dallas, Texas.
• Deborah Landau is the Director of Ecological Management for The Nature Conservancy for Maryland and Washington, D.C.

Houseplants typically have times when growth slows down based on lower light levels, but they don't stop growing entirely. «The truth is most of your typical houseplants are not going dormant in the winter (northern