Caring for Houseplants Through the Winter Months
Whether you have hanging plants in front of every window or a small cactus on the mantel, houseplants are a great addition to your home decor. Their green leaves and beautiful blooms bring a touch of the outdoors into your living space, and they can really brighten up your home and mood during the dreary, bleak winter months. Additionally, some potted plants that you may keep outside on the patio or deck during the summer won’t survive cold winter temps and need to be brought inside.
But caring for your houseplants during the winter is a little different from caring for them during the summer. Plants go dormant during the winter, when shorter days, drier air, and cooler temperatures make them vulnerable. Nurse your plants through the cold months with these tips for indoor plant care in the winter.
Get Your Houseplants Ready
If you really want your houseplants to thrive during the colder months, you need to make sure they’re optimally healthy before the seasons change. Give each plant the care it needs to thrive during the warmer months, and set it up for winter success with a last boost of fertilizer before temperatures drop.
Water Less Frequently
Most plants enter a dormant phase during the winter, but you might not notice it. For many species, it just means they stop growing. Some, like cyclamen, will wither up and dry out, appearing as if they have died. And it’s normal for some plants, like ficus, to drop some of their leaves as they prepare to conserve resources in the winter.
Since your plants aren’t actively growing in the winter, they need less water. Overwatering in the winter can lead to root rot. Most plants need watering only when the soil is dry to an inch or two below the surface and just before it starts to shrink back from the sides of the pot. Don’t water more if plants drop leaves in the winter — remember, that’s normal. Stay vigilant for signs of overwatering, which include yellowing leaves, insects, and mold on the soil. When you do water plants, make sure the water is about the same temperature as the room, so you don’t shock the roots.
Boost Humidity
Plants prefer humidity levels of about 50 percent, but the combination of dry winter air and home heating can leave indoor humidity levels as low as 10 percent. Add a humidifier to the room where you keep your plants to compensate or move them into the kitchen or bath. If you can’t do either, place plants in a tray of water, but use stones to elevate the pots above the water’s surface. That way, they won’t get too much water, but they’ll get humidity as the water in the tray evaporates.