In all honesty, you could probably just let hardy outside plants take care of themselves during the winter, and they’d probably be fine. (Can you tell that I practice pretty laissez-faire plant parenting?) However, if you’re a superb plant parent, follow these simple instructions to ensure that your outdoor plants have the most relaxing winter hibernation ever.
Know Your Plants
You should first inventory all of your current plants. Determine which plants are annuals and perennials, if you don’t already know. Annuals have a single growing season and won’t return after the winter. Common annual flowers that can be easily removed and composted include geraniums, sunflowers, marigolds, and zinnias.
Bring any tropical or subtropical plants inside as well. Even though they may thrive outdoors in the summer, ferns and palms aren’t sturdy enough to endure winter conditions like snow and freezing temperatures. Just be careful to inspect them for bugs before you bring them inside, or else you run the risk of having bugs infest all of your other plants (a mistake I’ve made several times).
How can plants be kept alive outside throughout the winter?
I’ve only recently started gardening in the winter, so I was concerned that the cold would kill my plants. This is the result of some time I invested in research and testing several ideas.
You must give outdoor plants enough of water if you want them to survive the winter. Mulch the soil after it has been watered to keep the moisture and warmth in. To avoid frost, cover and enclose the plants as needed.
Different plants will require different care, and there are proper and wrong ways to go about it. If you follow the appropriate instructions, keeping your plants alive during the winter is not difficult.
How do I care for my plants in the winter?
The easiest time of year to kill a houseplant is definitely during the winter. Houseplants are put to the test by harsh growing conditions like low light levels, dry air, shorter days, and frigid temperatures.
Making care routine adjustments to accommodate seasonal growing circumstances is the key to ensuring that plants survive the winter. Review the fundamentals to provide your indoor plants with the best care during winter.
Winter causes the sun to set later in the day, which results in a 50% reduction in light levels near windows. During the winter, indoor plants that thrive near a sunny eastern or northern window during the summer may require a southern or western exposure. Similarly, plants near windows in the west or south that require filtered light in the summer might be able to endure direct sunlight in the winter.
To aid plants in adjusting to shifting light conditions:
- If it’s possible, move plants nearer to the windows.
- Window cleaning will maximize light transmission.
- For the winter, move plants to new areas next to windows with more light.
- Cleanse plants to allow leaves to utilize the light that is available to the fullest.
- Add synthetic lighting. Fluorescent lights are sufficient. They generate less heat and are less expensive than conventional grow lights. For best results, place bulbs 4–12 inches away from plants.
Tropical plants, which make up the majority of indoor plants, like daytime temperatures of 65 to 75 F and nighttime temperatures of around 10 F lower. Low temperatures (below 50F) can be problematic for many plants.
In order to make the thermostats more comfortable for you, keep in mind that your plants also require some thought.
- Keep plants away from heat sources and cold gusts.
- Maintain a few inches of space between plants and external windows.
- Plants should be moved away from windows at nightfall in cold climates if windows freeze over at night. Additionally, you may tuck a thick shade or another insulating item between the plants and the glass.
In the cold, homes might only provide 5–10% relative humidity. Houseplants prefer 40–50%. Brown leaf tips and the presence of pests like Spider Mites are indicators that plants are being stressed by low humidity. Learn how to increase the humidity around plants in simple methods.
Overwatering is the most frequent issue that indoor plants encounter throughout the winter. 95% of indoor plants require the soil to almost totally dry out before watering. How do you determine whether plants need water?
- Don’t only test a small area of the soil’s surface. When the root zone is dry, plants require moisture. Insert your finger up to two inches into the ground. Water the soil if it’s dry.
- Pick up the pot. When soil gets dry, it becomes lighter. Lift pots right away after watering to feel the texture of the moist soil.
- Plants won’t need water as frequently if winterized rooms are humidified. Water must be added to dry air.
- The only exceptions to this rule are citrus and ferns in pots, both of which require continually moist soil. If you are uncertain, always do your research.
Never let plants sit in water that gathers in the drainage saucer overnight when you water.
Fertilize plants all winter long in mild climates. Winter fertilization of indoor plants is not recommended in the coldest climates with little natural light. When springtime outside plants begin to grow, fertilizer can be resumed.
In the spring and summer, when most indoor plants are actively growing, is the ideal time to repot them. Potted woody plants that entirely hibernate in the winter are the exception. Transplant those in the early spring before the buds break.
- Numerous advantages of houseplants include bettering indoor air quality and lowering sickness rates.
Keep your plants warmbut not too warm
Air that is too chilly can be quite damaging to many plants. Make sure they are shielded from the cold air as the first step in winter plant care. By insulating your home’s doors and caulking your windows, you can partially fix this problem. Additionally, during the hot months, if you store plants next to exterior doors or on leaky windowsills, make sure to relocate them to places where they won’t be stunned by the chilly air.
Keeping plants away from heat sources like fireplaces, radiators, and even heating vents is also a good idea. Blasts of hot air can harm your plant just as much as blasts of cold air. For the optimal conditions for plant life, keep your plants at a constant temperature of 65 to 75 degrees F (18 to 24 degrees C) during the day and above 50 degrees F (10 to 10 C) at night.
Reduce your watering and use warm water for plants in winter
The majority of houseplants “dorm” throughout the fall and winter even though they are inside. With less light, plants will grow slower and use less water and fertilizer. As a result, your indoor plants may require less feeding over the winter.
Observe the general recommendations for watering and only apply water if the soil is dry an inch or two below the surface. Keep in mind that leaving your plants submerged in water can result in root rot, fungus, mold, and a number of other problems. If you notice yellow leaves or moldy soil, you should lessen how often you water your plants. In the winter, you might also wish to give your plants warm water. It is best to water plants with warm water in the winter since it not only promotes faster and greater plant growth, but it also keeps the plants warm.
We advise you to stick to the typical “once per week” schedule used by most houseplant owners in order to maintain consistency and avoid disrupting the rhythm. But on the days you water your plants once a week, merely cut back on the water you give them by 25 to 50 percent.
Increase your home’s humidity
Low humidity during the winter months is a problem for both people and plants. Keep your humidifier on if you have one because plants prefer humidity levels of roughly 50–60%. If not, try grouping your plants in your home’s most humid areas—typically the bathrooms or kitchen—or setting them on top of a sizable tray or baking sheet that is moistened with water. Place some stones in the water, then place the plants on top of the stones (you just need to make sure the pots don’t touch the water).
Clean your plants
In the winter, the sun is scarce. Make sure the leaves of your indoor plants stay clean and dust-free so they can make the most of the little amount of light they receive. Put your plants in the bathtub once or twice a month, and give the leaves a gently rinse with a handheld sprayer or wipe them down with a moist towel to remove dirt and grime. Keeping the leaves clean will increase their capacity for photosynthesis.
Give them plenty of light
The final tip for maintaining indoor plant life is to remember that during the fall and winter, plants require light more than anything else. To ensure that every plant receives the necessary amount of sunlight, you must rotate your pots with extreme care. Use a full-spectrum lightbulb in a typical desk lamp to shine it on your plants for at least 12 to 14 hours each day if the amount of natural sunlight available is insufficient. Find out more about how to set up a grow light or buy an LED grow light from our shop.
As a final piece of advice, it’s important to remember that some of the suggestions we make in this post call for adjusting many variables.
For instance, if you relocate your plants away from a drafty window, the amount of light they receive will almost surely change, and possibly the humidity will as well. For this reason, after you’ve moved your plants, keep an eye on them every day. To get it correct, you might need to try a few different things or need to go back and undo some modifications.
What should I do with my plants over the winter?
To ensure they receive enough light, place indoor plants close to a window, but keep them away from drafts and other chilly air currents. Avoid cracking open windows near plants, and check the condition of your window insulation.
Can I water my plants in the winter?
The weather is freezing, and your landscape needs water. Winter has officially come. And even though your landscape has gone into dormancy, it nevertheless occasionally becomes dry. Let’s talk about winter watering advice and how to keep your plants alive. (Tip: Watering is required!)
Simple Advice for Gardening in the Cold Your plants need to be watered occasionally even though they are wilted and brown. Plants that don’t water during the winter frequently die before April. In addition to increasing landscaping expenditures during the warmer months, this can also harm your plumbing. How so? Plants that don’t get enough water in the winter go looking for it on their own. who is the most common victim? your drain pipes. Underground pipelines may attempt to be penetrated by roots, necessitating messy and expensive repairs.
- Select a day that is warm, with a high of at least 40 degrees F.
- Make sure the ground is not frozen.
- When temperatures are higher, try watering in the middle of the day so that it can soak in before it freezes at night.
- From November through April, water your landscape once or twice a month.
- In the months of March and April, new roots begin to grow. During these months, watering is especially important.
- In winter gardening, new lawns, trees, shrubs, and flowers need the most care.
- Priority should be given to well-established turf and trees, especially those in sunny, windy, or exposed locations. Watering keeps them from drying out because of the particular environmental circumstances.
- Additionally benefited are mature shrubs, blooming plants, decorative grasses, and groundcovers.
- Cacti, succulents, and buffalo grass shouldn’t be watered.
- The majority of automatic sprinkler systems are switched off during the winter to avoid freezing damage. Use a watering wand or hose-end sprinkler to avoid this annoyance.
- After watering, detach the hose from the spigot. If the hose is left in place, water may freeze in your pipes, resulting in costly damage.
- Water for brief intervals, letting it absorb before reapplying.
- After watering, watch out that the ground doesn’t remain moist for too long. Your prized plants could be killed by root rot as a result of this.
- Place cups in your yard to capture part of the water to help you gauge how long to water. Add water to the cups until you can measure 0.5 to 1 deep. When you reach this point, you’ll be able to gauge how long to water for subsequent sessions.
The significance of winter watering cannot be stressed when it comes to having a lush environment in the spring. When warmer weather arrives, your garden will express its gratitude if you use these techniques for gardening in the cold.
Can outdoor plants be brought inside for the winter?
It’s time to bring many of your outdoor plants inside when frost is forecast. Only indoors will many delicate annuals, bulbs, herbs, and tropical plants make it through the winter. Here are some tips on which plants to bring indoors this fall and how to prepare potted plants for the winter.
When to Bring Plants Inside
True annuals and plants that we cultivate as annuals (which are regarded as sensitive perennials in southern regions) are unable to withstand the chilly winter months. But you don’t have to say goodbye to these plants forever! Even delicate plants that require a winter dormant period can be brought inside as “annuals” in many cases. Ideally, these should be brought inside before the temperature drops below 45 degrees at night (7C). Start bringing the plants inside for the winter when October approaches and nighttime lows dip approximately 50F (10C).
At temperatures below 40F (4C), and for some tropical plants even below 50, harm is likely to occur. To acclimatize them, you must take action well before any actual frost or ice.
Where to Put Plants
I still struggle to find space for everything, despite the fact that the greenhouse we have attached to the house receives plenty of sunlight and never gets colder than 45F. For my benefit, a lot of these plants would experience a dry season in their natural habitat and don’t mind resting under a bench. Particularly when the pots are large, the greenhouse quickly fills up.
Consider making a shelf or area where you may put plants that require high humidity together if you don’t have a greenhouse but have a lot of them. While some people mist their indoor plants, this only has a temporary beneficial effect. Putting a pebble tray under your plants is a better long-term solution. After adding a layer of gravel and lining the trays with waterproof material, add the pots on top. Do not dry out the gravel. You might wish to attach some ceiling hooks if you have hanging plants. Cleaning your windows both inside and outside will help guarantee that plants receive enough light throughout winter.
Which Plants To Bring Inside
You might need to decide what should be brought inside and what should be kept outside. Which flora stand out to you? Which ones cost the most to replace? Additionally, only keep healthy plants; throw away those that have disease or pest issues. Additionally, the lighting in your home is crucial. Even a west or south facing glassed area in winter only has the summer shaded area’s winter light intensity.
Plants that can be carried indoors can be divided into two categories:
- plants that need a time of winter hibernation.
- plants that can continue to thrive while dormant during the winter.
Some delicate bulbs need to spend some time “dormant” in a chilly environment where the temperature is still far above freezing. Numerous of these pricey bulbs are worth overwintering. Tender bulbs include, for instance:
- Caladiums
- A calla lily
- Cannas
- Dahlias
- Animal ears
- Gladiolus
- tubes of roses
Simply stop watering fragile bulbs in pots, remove the withering leaves, and tuck them away in a dark, cool place. Periodically check the soil moisture.
Dig up and trim back the leaves of fragile underground bulbs. By hand, remove as much dirt as you can from the bulb. For 7 to 14 days, leave them in a warm, dry location to dry. This gets rid of extra moisture. Separate them with shredded newspaper or dry peat moss and place them loosely in a cardboard box or open container. Get cozy somewhere chilly and gloomy. To get a head start on the season, pot them up in the spring about a month before you intend to set them outside.