If you’ve had houseplants outside all summer and moved them in over the past few weeks, they will also experience a bit of shock, which may mean some leaves will start to fall off. Don’t panic, hold back on the water for a bit and let them readjust. Most of the time, as long as they are healthy to begin with, the plants will be fine. I recommend treating most plants with horticultural oil or a systemic insecticide before bringing them indoors or right after bringing them in, just to be sure they don’t have a lot of insects. You can also use insecticidal soap.

Once November hit, I stopped feeding my houseplants, except for my orchids and a few other very low light plants, which still seem to grow in the colder months.

A plant’s watering needs also change in late fall and mid-winter. Since they don’t grow as much, they don’t consume as much water. This can lead to overwatering very easily. It’s important to check your soil and leave it on the drier side before watering. It’s much easier to bring back an underwatered plant than it is to rot the roots and overwater, as this can easily kill a plant.

If you don’t have a lot of windows, increasing the light with a grow light is a great way to keep plants alive. I have several in different parts of my house. You can easily get them online. Mine have timers, giving them about 12 hours of artificial light each day. You can increase this amount a little more depending on the needs of your plants.

At this time of year, you should not transplant houseplants unless absolutely necessary. This is because they will have difficulty re-acclimating to a new home because they are not growing as much. Wait until mid to late February to begin this process.

Finally, check your houseplants frequently for insects during the winter. If you find insects, such as mealybugs, aphids or mealybugs, treat them immediately and isolate the plant from the rest. With a little care, your houseplants will survive the winter and be ready to hit the ground running next spring.