My Houseplants Need a Different Routine in Fall – Here’s How I Adjust Watering to Avoid Damage, Pests and Disease

If there's one houseplant task to get right in fall, it's watering. Cooler temperatures and lower sunlight levels mean soil is drying out much slower this season, ultimately meaning your plants need less watering.

It's an essential part of fall houseplant care, where our precious indoor plants are susceptible to root rot, pest damage, and fungal diseases from too much water. At the same time, you don't want to pull back on watering altogether. Allowing plants to sit in drought through fall can cause dehydration and cause them to fade away.

Striking the balance can be tricky to figure out, but with the right houseplant care kit to hand you'll soon master this skill. Here, I talk through everything you need to know about identifying when to water your plants, how to do it, and the tools I often rely on to avoid watering mistakes this season (this Amazon soil moisture meter is a good place to start).

When to Water Houseplants in Fall

The best lesson I ever learned about watering houseplants is that you should abandon a set schedule. Environmental and seasonal factors constantly change how frequently houseplant soil is drying out and therefore how much water your plant needs. Instead, I always check the soil before picking up my watering can.

You can either use a soil moisture meter (which is also available from Walmart) or feel the soil with your finger. The crucial part is to not trust the moisture level of soil surface only, you need to check how wet the soil is further down to determine whether the roots have access to moisture.

In fact, it's a common fall problem for houseplant soil to form a crust on the surface, generally from indoor heating drying it out too quickly. It doesn't necessarily mean the soil below is dry and there may actually be moisture trapped beneath. It can also be the result of a build-up of salts and minerals from tap water and summer fertilizer.

If this is the case, I recommend removing the top layer, flushing the soil, and applying a fresh top layer. You may also want to consider not using tap water for houseplants to avoid this happening again.

Generally speaking, you should water houseplants once the top 1-2 inches have dried out. However, I encourage doing some deeper research into the specific needs of your plants – thirsty houseplants will need much more water than those who tolerate drought, like succulents and cacti.

How to Water Houseplants in Fall

There are a few methods you can use to water houseplants in fall.

Of course, you can use a houseplant watering can (one like this from Amazon with a narrow spout helps reach the base of your plants). Though, this is often the method most likely to result in overwatering.

Bottom watering houseplants is more effective in terms of hydrating plant roots without oversaturating them. This requires a plant pot with a saucer (like this ceramic one from Wayfair), where plants soak up just as much water as needed. A self-watering planter has a space for a reservoir which works in the same way (Amazon has sets of self-watering planters so you can use them for your entire indoor garden).

You can also use the deep watering method, soaking houseplants in a sink for 20 minutes before allowing them to drain. In fall, you'll only need to do this every other week. This will allow houseplants to fully hydrate, but take care not to do this with the houseplants most susceptible to root rot – with soil drying out slowly this season, too much water in the pot can put them at risk.

There are also some watering gadgets that can help keep houseplants watered to the right level in fall. A houseplant irrigation system (like this from Amazon) will water plants when it detects dry soil, so you don't have to remember to.

Self-watering spikes (like these from Walmart) are also handy, though I would recommend these for summer more so than fall. They provide a gradual release of moisture, ensuring plants don't dry out.

What to Shop

Alongside adjusting watering, there are indoor plant jobs many gardeners forget to do in fall. This includes checking underneath foliage for pests and moving houseplants away from heat sources.

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