Although it may seem contradictory, the majority of indoor plants require less water in the winter. Despite the fact that winter air is dryer, plants develop more slowly and some even fall into complete dormancy during the colder months. As a result, plants require less water to maintain their hydration, and overwatering can cause root rot. Remember that different plants require varied amounts of water. Drought-tolerant cacti and other succulents may not require any watering, whilst certain tropical plants may still need more frequent watering.
Winter months can cause surface soil to dry up more quickly, but it isn’t necessarily a sign that the plant needs water. When the soil is dry an inch or two below the surface, test it with your finger; if it is, it’s time to get the watering can out.
Tip
Do not water your houseplants with cold water. To prevent shocking the roots of the plant, use water that is close to room temperature. In some winter climates, tap water can become very chilly; thus, wait several hours before using it to water your plants. This kind of gradual warming also enables dissolved gases, such chlorine, to evaportate from the water.
Alter Humidity Levels
The largest challenge that indoor plants face throughout the winter months is often low humidity levels. Plants like a humidity level that is closer to 50%, which might drop to 10 to 20% in heated homes during the winter. If your home has a humidifier, move your plants there so they can benefit from it. If you don’t have a humidifier, find another way to increase the humidity.
Organize your plants first into groupings. Plants naturally release water through their leaves through transpiration, thus combining them will make good use of that moisture. Because they absorb moisture from showers and cooking, bathrooms and kitchens are the greatest places to keep plants.
The age-old method of putting your plants on or close to a tray of water is another excellent choice. But avoid letting the plants submerge themselves in the water. Put stones or pebbles in the tray to elevate the pots’ bottoms above the water line, then set the pots on top of the stones. By doing this, humidity levels will rise without encouraging root rot.
Instead than helping the plants, misting usually works better at making the gardener feel good about themselves. You might believe that spraying your plants will provide them with some comfort, however misting just provides a brief burst of moisture. Because indoor temperatures allow moisture to evaporate quickly, misting is necessary several times a day to be effective. Try misting if you only have a few plants and believe you will be really diligent about it. An indoor plant may rarely be over-mist. Misting plants in humid summers can result in fungal issues, but this shouldn’t be a concern in the winter.
Pay Attention to Temperature
Like most people, most plants thrive in temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit at night and between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. Keep your plants away from heat sources like radiators, ovens, fireplaces, and electronics in order to give them that, as well as from chilly drafts. Houseplants can die from temperature changes just as quickly as from extended exposure to heat or cold.
Follow the Sun
In addition to having fewer daylight hours, wintertime sunlight also comes in at a lower angle. Your houseplants might need to be moved to a brighter location or even given more light. An all-day sunny window with a south or west orientation is an ideal location. Moving plants next to a chilly window, however, should be avoided since they might experience a draft.
Every time you water your plants, rotate the pots by roughly a quarter of a turn. This prevents some branches from reaching for the light, allowing the plant to grow evenly and receive some sun on all sides.
The amount of light that reaches plant leaves can also be diminished by layers of dust. This dust can be removed from leaves with a moist cloth, giving plants more access to light during the winter.
Plants will need to be exposed to the grow lights for extended periods of time in regions where the winter sun is essentially nonexistent and where the majority of their light comes from supplemental lighting. If a plant needs six hours of direct sunshine, it can also require an additional 12 or 14 hours of light to provide the same amount of energy. Grow lights are far less strong than sunlight, thus plants require more time under them to absorb enough energy.
Put Your Houseplants on a Diet
Because they are not growing as quickly in the winter, the majority of houseplants don’t require any fertilizer. Stop feeding them until early spring as continuing to do so would only disrupt their natural cycle. Resuming fertilization will give them a boost for the growing season if you start to notice new growth or the present leaves seem to be turning greener.
Some tropical plants grow rather actively all winter long, especially vining climbers or trailers, and they may still need some feeding, but often at decreased rates.
Where should indoor plants be placed?
Many of us learn how to garden for the first time with houseplants. Potted plants, particularly in colder climates, add color, beauty, and fresh air indoors when chilly temperatures and wintry weather keep us inside. No matter where you reside, the advice below will help you make the most of potted plants in your house.
How Much Light?
How much light a plant will receive where it will be grown should be one of the first factors to be taken into account while choosing and cultivating it. The majority of houseplants require bright, indirect light, such that from an east-facing window. As long as the harsh sun’s rays don’t touch a plant’s leaves directly, especially in the summer, south and west windows also function nicely. African violets and other popular flowering plants need a little bit more light than ferns or ivy that are kept primarily for their leaves. Light offers the extra vitality that flowers need.
The Most Important Requirement: Water
The most crucial—and frequently most difficult—aspect of growing healthy houseplants is watering. Instead of drowning them to the point where their roots can’t breathe, err on the dry side. In the summer, use water more liberally. It’s time to water when the top 1/2 to 1 inch of the pot is dry. Water the plant thoroughly until the water drains out the drainage holes in the container’s bottom.
Don’t Forget Plant Food
Another crucial aspect in developing outstanding houseplants is feeding the plants. Your houseplants’ roots are restricted to a pot, preventing them from foraging for nutrients in the nearby soil. You have the choice. In general, giving your houseplants a weekly or biweekly dose of plant food made specifically for them, like Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food, will result in happy, healthy, long-lived plants that add color and life to your home. The summer is a crucial season to feed indoor plants because this is when they are actively growing and will benefit from the nutrients.
Cut back on the frequency of watering.
The soil won’t be drying out as quickly unless you maintain a sauna-like temperature inside your house. As a result, the roots won’t require as much water now.
I water my houseplants usually every seven days because I reside in Tucson, which is hot and dry for five months out of the year. I reduce the frequency to once every 1021 days throughout the winter.
The sort of plants you have, the size and composition of the pots, the humidity level, and how warm or chilly your home are all factors that will affect how frequently you water yours.
Decrease the amount of water.
I water my indoor plants about 25% less throughout the winter. In the summer, I use a larger watering can, and in the winter, I use a smaller one. This stops me from suffocating the plants.
This keeps the soil from becoming too wet near the bottom of the pot, where the majority of the roots are, where I have quite a few large floor plants with a lot of soil mass.
Don’t let too much water collect in the saucer.
You don’t need to completely submerge the grow pot’s bottom in water; a small amount of trickling out onto the saucer is acceptable. Doing so will eventually cause the roots to decay.
It’s good if it rests on pebble or rock layers; more on that under “Humidity.”
Can indoor plants survive the winter?
Most houseplants can survive the winter at regular indoor temperatures that you find comfortable. However, even for a little period, abrupt temperature fluctuations might be problematic. Keep plants away from heaters, hot air vents, and cold drafts. According to Marino, sudden hot or cold drafts can stress plants, harm them from the cold, or completely dry them out.
How should indoor plants be cared for during the winter?
We all require light, but because the days are so brief in the winter, it can be difficult to acquire much of it. Like people, plants require light to survive, even indoor plants. Homes only receive a limited amount of light throughout the winter, and if your home doesn’t face the appropriate direction, you might only receive light via select rooms and windows.
Be ready to relocate your plants over the winter to locations with windows and light. For the most light, make sure the windows are thoroughly cleaned both inside and out. In order for the leaves to properly absorb that light, make sure that any dust that has amassed on them has been removed.
Should indoor plants be placed near a window?
Houseplants are not only attractive and decorative but also provide many advantages for your home. Your indoor plants can boost your health, remove toxins from the air through air purification, and, if you have them in an office or classroom setting, they can help you concentrate better.
How can you maximize the potential of your plants? The positioning of your houseplants within the home is one of the secrets to keeping them healthy.
In general, plants can endure warmer or colder conditions, as well as short-term water surpluses or shortages. However, if you want the finest results from your plants, you must put them in an environment where they will have access to water, nutrients, and the proper climate to survive.
How then can you imitate their natural environment? In order to get the most success out of your houseplants, our guide will show you which plants to place where in your house.
Which rooms work best?
Your indoor plants all share the same trait. Each plant will require a different quantity of sunlight, but they all require it.
Place your indoor plants carefully; don’t just set them down. It doesn’t necessarily follow that a plant is best for your houseplant just because it matches the decor of a particular room in the home.
Consider the following: Which room in my home receives the greatest sunlight? What side are my windows facing? My heaters aren’t here. What is the inside temperature in my home on average?
With that, you can begin to determine which regions are ideal for placing your houseplants.
Types of plants
Your plants will need sunlight, as was already said. Some species will benefit from as much shade as possible, but others may require continuous partial or full shade.
Keep in mind that your plants do not require direct sunshine at all times of the day because this can burn the plant’s leaves and roots.
The majority of plants will thrive in a window that faces west, east, or south. Therefore, avoid placing too many plants in front of windows that face north.
Of course, some plants need full or partial shade for the most of the day.
For instance, flowering and foliage plants, including some fern and lily kinds, typically do well with both artificial light and little direct sunlight.
Therefore, if you position your foliage plant a few feet away from your South-facing window, it will be in the best possible position. Make sure your foliage plant is kept out of the midday sun or when there is direct sunshine in the room if your windows face west or east.
Large, thick, meaty leaves on plants have a tendency to thrive in the shade. These plants include, but are not limited to, jade, stonecrop, and zebra plant.
Plant care
Your indoor plants could require more maintenance than your garden. It’s always best to do a little study on your plants, whether it’s to find out how frequently to water them or what kind of environment they want.
Around 70F (20C) is a good temperature for most houseplants, however others only do well in colder climates. For instance, cyclamen like it between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit (10 and 15 degrees Celsius), and Cineraria much cooler. You may need to maintain a steady temperature of about 70 degrees Fahrenheit if you have a bonsai tree or other tropical indoor plants (20C).
When positioning your plants close to a heat source, exercise caution. The majority of home heating systems create an environment that is too dry for most potted plants. In the winter, central heating will produce a warm, arid environment. For indoor plants, this will be nearly inhospitable.
You can either periodically mist your plants with tiny water droplets or pack or group moss between the pot and its attractive container to create a microclimate around their leaves. The warning indicators will be seen when your leaves are completely dry or discolored and the soil appears to require watering.