During the cold, dry months of winter, you've probably noticed that your houseplants struggle. Thanks to low-light conditions and a lack of humidity, it can be a challenge to keep your leafy friends looking their best. However, the following indoor plant tips can ensure that your plants look green and healthy throughout the winter season.
Increase Humidity
When the temperatures drop, you turn your home's heater on, which is good for keeping you warm and toasty but bad for the health of your plants. Your heating system dries out the air in your home, and most houseplants are tropical and prefer humidity. If you notice droopy or limp leaves, you need to find a way to increase the humidity in your home or at least in the vicinity of your plants.There are a couple of ways you can do this. You can run the heat less often and utilize a humidifier, or you can place your plants' pots on a tray of pebbles covered in a shallow layer of water. As the water evaporates, it creates humidity that your plants will love.
Avoid Repotting
During the winter, your plants are working hard just to survive, so they become stressed and stop growing. This is normal and not a cause for concern, but you should avoid repotting your plants until the spring. Repotting in the winter adds even more stress and can be too much for even the hardiest of houseplants to handle. If you find a new pot at the store that you just have to have, either slide the plant, existing pot and all, into the new one or simply wait until conditions are better to repot.
Wait To Fertilize
In a similar vein, houseplants do not need fertilizer during the winter, since they are not pushing any new growth. Most plants that are kept in homes are native to other parts of the world and have adapted to conditions in which they do not have access to nutrients during a portion of the year. It can be tempting to want to feed your plants in the winter, especially if they start looking a little sad. However, be sure to hold off until spring when they're ready to take off again.
Check for Drafts
If you have plants on a windowsill or shelves near a window or door, be sure to check for drafts. The cold air can damage the plants and cause them to lose leaves or even die altogether. Remember that glass gets very cold in the winter as well, so make sure that no leaves are touching a window.
Cut Back on Watering
Overwatering your plants is just as bad, if not worse, than not watering enough. Excess water can lead to root rot and a mushy, dead houseplant. During the winter, your plants do not need nearly as much water as they did during the rest of the year. A good rule of thumb is to water your plant thoroughly and then wait until the top inch or so of soil is completely dry.
Find the Light
Because the days are shorter and your plants will have less light during the winter, you may need to move things around to give them as much light as possible. If you normally have them near a north-facing window, move them to a south or west-facing window so that they can soak up the sunlight and stay happy.These indoor plant tips should be enough to keep your collection of houseplants happy all winter long, whether you have one plant or 50. You'll be glad that you have something green to look at when it's cold and gray outside, so take good care of them! If you need a new plant, check out the selection at Red's Home & Garden.
