Summer or fall, don’t let your beautiful potted plants wither away! Follow these Tips to Keep Your Container Plants Thriving in October.
Once the fiery red and bronze foliage of fall comes to pass, the dreary bit is when plants slow down their growth, go into dormancy, or even wilt and fade. But with our tips, you can keep your container plants thriving even in October! Read on.
What Happens to Plants in Autumn?
When temperatures start to dip in fall, around September, most plants have a hard time tolerating this shift. As dried autumn leaves and foliage prettily crowd your backyard, the trees and plants start looking bare and dead.
Moreover, most plants prepare to enter their dormant phase in the short days and long nights of autumn. This is when the plants retire, conserve all energy to endure the cold, and sometimes re-emerge in spring simply, and some may die. So, you see reduced growth and less flowering.
But indoors and in containers, there’s scope to tweak destiny ever so slightly! There are ways to keep your potted plants thriving even in October. Let’s check it out!
Keep your Container Plants Thriving in October
1. Plan for a Fall Garden
Plan your fall garden and pick the right plants for long-lasting color! While chrysanthemums are a classic fall choice, you can mix them with multi-colored coleus varieties in your container garden. You can also see other container fall arrangements for inspiration!
There is also a wide range of fall vegetables that you could incorporate into your collection. Choose broccoli, kale, and cabbage to add texture and for hues that intensify as the days get cooler!
2. Move for Light
Fall-blooming flower species like asters, begonia, and globe amaranth have different light needs. While globe amaranth needs full sun, asters thrive in partial shade. So, if you plan to grow these as part of your fall container repertoire, ensure they get the light they need!
Sunlight weakens during October, so in addition to finding aptly sunny spots or relying on grow lights, pick containers with wheels and position your plants strategically. You can also check out these mobile plant stands.
3. Switch to Low-Nitrogen Fertilizer
In October, you want your plants to focus on producing those final fall and winter blooms, develop hardy roots, and become strong enough to face winter. Nitrogen, on the other hand, boosts foliage growth and distracts it from blooms, roots, and overall strength.
Instead, feed your plants phosphorus and potassium fertilizers as cool weather sets in but that too only once in the beginning of the month unless you live in a warm climate in a weak dose. This encourages a second round of fall blooms while boosting their cold tolerance and root hardiness for frost!
4. Use Frost Blankets
Also called frost cloths or row covers, these blankets insulate your plants from frost and cold winds and keep them 2-3 degrees warmer than the surroundings. They also deter pests like aphids and whiteflies.
The blankets are highly effective in protecting your plants during fall and winter and are quite easy to use and affordable.
5. Move Your Plants Indoors
September and October are the right months to move your sensitive plants indoors as soon as the temperature reaches 12 C (54 F) and below, it’s time.
If you have an exotic perennial, tropical, or ornamental plant growing in a container, bring it indoors to a warm and stable location inside your home to save it from winter blues.
When bringing your plants indoors, don’t forget to inspect them carefully for pests. If you identify any, wipe the foliage with rubbing alcohol or spray with Neem oil.
6. Insulate Your Plants
The cool of fall and winter demands a little extra insulation for plant roots, and you may have to make its home a little cozier. Autumn blooms like pansies and calibrachoa are especially prone to frost damage. Insulate containers by October to ensure they survive winter!
Use materials like bubble wrap around the pot and burlap to reduce soil temperature fluctuations, keep roots warm, retain moisture, and potentially extend the growing season for plants. Burlap can also be used in tons of gardening projects.
6. Cut Spent Flowers and Foliage
In October, you should cut spent flowers and trim brown, yellow, and dried-up foliage to refocus the plant’s energy on self-preservation. Deadheading spent blooms will also channel the plant’s energy into root development and health.
But don’t prune; if you do this, the plant’s new growth will be tender and vulnerable to frost. Instead, focus on removing dead, leafless stems and faded flowers. Leave the green and healthy foliage intact, as the plant will need it to store energy for the colder months.
Pro Tip: Remove spent flowers by cutting them off directly from the stem base just above a leaf node. Container plants like pelargoniums are susceptible to fungal diseases like botrytis that attack lower leaves, so be extra careful with them.
7. Mulch in October
Mulching is an all-season solution that works in summer and winter! While it helps retain moisture and maintain cool soil levels during summer, it insulates in fall and winter!
Mulching your container garden in October is a great way to protect your plants from frost, improve soil health, maintain moisture and temperature, and suppress weeds! And as it decomposes, mulch adds organic matter to the soil.
Rake up all the autumn leaves in your backyard and layer them over your potted garden. Over time, the leaves will decompose and become leaf mold, a nutrient-rich material that benefits your plants.
For temperatures below 50 F (10 C), protect frost-sensitive plants by moving them indoors. If you have potted plants, just bring them inside. If uprooting and moving larger plants in the ground is too much stress, cover them with frost blankets and protect the pots by wrapping them in burlap roots!
Additionally, move your plants to a spot with ample sunshine, less cold drafts and moderate temperatures to allow them to heal and recover gradually. Water your plants only when the soil is dry to the touch. With these tips, keep your container plants thriving in October!
