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Fall Equinox
Garden Tips Newsletter - September 17, 2001

September 22 - 23 is the fall or autumnal equinox. The fall equinox marks the official end of summer, although in the South temperatures are still telling us summer isn't over. On this day, the number of light and dark hours are equal. After this day, daylight hours will continue to decrease until the darkest day of the year, the winter solstice around December 21. As the amount of light decreases over the next several months, your plants will begin to notice the change. Leaf color change and a general slow down in growth are just a few of the ways plants will respond to the shorter days. If you have houseplants many of these will go into a slow-growth period. For this reason you won't need to fertilize your plants as often (unless they are showing signs of deficiencies). Also take note of the amount of light that comes into your house during the coming months, make sure your plants continue to receive the light they need to survive. Although houseplants are slowing their growth, be sure to periodically check their moisture level so that they don't dry out.

These archived newsletters were written by Dr. Lelia Scott Kelly. Kelly is a Horticulture Specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Her office is in the North Mississippi Research & Extension Center, Verona.