For most houseplants, no. Growth slows right down over winter as light levels fall, so from around October to February in the UK most plants need little or no feeding. Feeding a plant that is barely growing does not help it; the unused fertiliser builds up as salts in the compost and can burn the roots. Hold off until spring, with a few exceptions covered below.
Fertiliser supports active growth. In winter, short days and weak light mean most houseplants slow down or stop growing altogether, and some go properly dormant. A resting plant takes up very little from the soil, so anything you add just sits there. Our guide on whether houseplants go dormant in winter explains what is happening below the surface.
The general rule is simple: feed when a plant is growing, stop when it is resting. For the majority of collections, that means putting the feed away once growth stalls in autumn.
The Exceptions
Some plants do keep growing, and these can still take a light winter feed:
- Plants under grow lights or in a heated, bright grow space. If you give a plant strong supplementary light and warmth, it may keep growing through winter and will still use nutrients. Match the feeding to the growth you actually see.
- Winter growers and winter-flowering plants. A few plants are active in the cooler months, and flowering plants in bud can benefit from a diluted feed.
- Tropicals kept warm and bright. In a consistently warm room with good light, growth may only slow rather than stop, so an occasional half-strength feed is fine.
If your plant is sitting still, though, it does not need feeding whatever the calendar says.
When To Start Again in Spring
Resume feeding when you see fresh growth appear, usually around March as the days lengthen. Start at half strength for the first feed or two, then build back up to your normal summer routine. If you have just repotted into fresh mix, hold off a little longer, as new compost already contains some nutrients; see whether to fertilise straight after repotting. In short, let the plant's growth, not the season alone, tell you when to feed.