Spindly plants

[kat_food]

Whenever I move my outdoor plants (herbs mostly, but an occasional geranium) indoors before the freezing weather, within weeks they become spindly. The branches of the thyme and oregano, for instance, are no longer woody but weak and somewhat limp - despite regular watering and sunlight. Why is this, and is there a way to avoid it?

Comments

[virginiadear]

A plant's natural habitat is always outdoors

[kat_food]

Wow! VERY helpful. Thank you! The thyme looks like its... run out of time. But I'll try giving the oregano and sage a haircut!

[virginiadear]

You're welcome.

Your thyme might be winter-hardy, and you have nothing much to lose by cutting it back, hard, and then using a thick layer of leaves or leaf shreds under and around the pot, and even over the top of the soil except for the neck of the thyme. (I'm assuming you know the variety you have. If you don't, but are figuring that it's not going to survive indoors, either, then I recommend taking this chance.) Hold the leaves/leaf shreds in place with burlap. You need something which will keep the insulating material in place but which will allow water (snow, sleet, rain) to pass through naturally. You don't want anything like a plastic trash bag which will hold water there and prevent air circulation: that encourages the growth of "stuff," organisms I'd rather not have to deal with in my potted plants

[yesididit]

in winter, due to the rotation of the planet in its orbit, parts of the planet are farther from the sun. meaning the light that comes in thru windows in winter is weaker than the light that comes thru in summer.

(sorry, didnt mean to post it as a reply to a comment)