6 tips for getting through winter without losing a single plant, literally
With the arrival of winter, living conditions in apartments and houses change, and it is not only us humans who feel it, but our houseplants too. The amount of daylight drops dramatically, heating lowers the humidity, and if your plants are by a window that doesn’t seal properly, you are already asking for trouble. Dry and curled leaves or leaf edges, or even falling leaves and rotting stems… Sounds like a horror story? And don’t get us started on moving the plants off a crowded windowsill every day whenever you want to air out the room for a moment. If spring is nowhere in sight and you keep worrying about which of your houseplants will be the next to fight for its life, we have a few tips for you in the following article. You will learn what houseplants actually need to be happy in winter and what to avoid.
1. Light conditions
During winter, plants that like plenty of light need to be moved as close to the windows as possible, or given special lighting, known as a grow light. It also won’t hurt to clean the dust and dirt off the windows so that nothing blocks the light, and to wipe or shower the plants’ leaves now and then so that they can take in the light without any problems. Plants also benefit, and not only in winter, if we regularly turn them together with their planter. Turning them by 10° to 30° is enough for them to get used to the new position without stretching unevenly toward the light. More about light conditions here.
2. Drafts
Putting plants on windowsills is only part of the recipe for success. If you have older windows that don’t seal well, your plants could be constantly exposed to drafts or low temperatures. Keep this in mind and try to seal the windows better. Many houseplant species originally come from tropical regions, so they are not built for the cold season. The same applies when airing out: it is best to move your houseplants a safe distance away from the windows first and only then let in the freezing fresh air. Don’t forget this when buying new plants either, and protect them well during transport.
On the other hand, a gentle flow of air around the plants is worth keeping. A fan, for example, can take care of that.
3. Humidity
Dry indoor air is good for neither us nor our plants. A humidifier is a great addition for both, helping us keep humidity ideally between 45 and 60%. Plants also benefit when we group them together and put expanded clay or pebbles with water in their saucers (even ordinary glasses of water will do). The water will slowly evaporate from them, raising the humidity right around the plants. You can also try misting the plants, but watch out for leaf rot.
4. Watering
Because many plants are dormant in winter and don’t grow, they don’t need as much water. Also, because the days are shorter, the plant doesn’t even have time to use up excess water, so its potting mix will stay wet and start to rot. So we need to water less often, while keeping an eye on plants growing in terracotta planters (terracotta lets the root ball dry out more, so the plant will need a little more water than, for example, in ceramic or plastic). And don’t forget to water with room-temperature water that has been left to stand, just as you do all year round.
From late fall to early spring, there will be no need to fertilize your plants either; you can lightly fertilize only those that are clearly still growing (for example, some kinds of peperomia, pothos, philodendrons). Fertilizing could even harm the plant, as an excess of nutrients can burn the roots.
5. Pests
Unfortunately, pests thrive more than usual in winter. It is a good idea to check your houseplants more often, so don’t be afraid to use a flashlight (yes, even during the day) and examine the leaves and stems of each plant in detail. If you find signs of a pest infestation, treat the plant (depending on the type of pest) and put it in quarantine far away from your other plants so that the infestation doesn’t spread. If you are bothered by, for example, small flies coming out of your planters, read how to get rid of them here.
6. Special plant species
Some houseplant species have special requirements over winter. Cacti and succulents, for example, need to overwinter in dry potting mix without any watering, at temperatures around 10°C. Some palms also need a cooler environment. It always depends on the specific species, so you need to find out at least basic information about the plant.
Tip:
Over winter, it is not a good idea to repot plants (unless they are in really poor or waterlogged potting mix) or to propagate them from cuttings (rooting takes longer, and taking many cuttings in winter can needlessly exhaust the mother plant). It is better to wait until spring for these tasks.
And most importantly: remember that every winter comes to an end, and in spring your plants will be full of strength again. Sometimes, unfortunately, despite all your care, some leaves fall off because the plant cannot sustain all of them during winter. Or, heaven forbid, the whole plant doesn’t survive… But then that is a reason to get another one, because we learn from our mistakes, and the more houseplants, the more experience, right?
Houseplants for everyone.
Alžběta Lacinová