Keeping your houseplants happy during the chillier months of the year is sometimes an unpredictable task. One moment your plant could be looking great, the next it isn’t and you’re left wondering, “What went wrong?” We are here to help keep your houseplants looking and feeling their best, even though the cold and dry winter months. We have collected our top 5 tips for winterizing your houseplants, straight from the Green Team experts.
- Water with Care
One of the most important things to your houseplants is water. However, in the cooler months of the year, you may want to resist the urge to fill up that watering can like you do in the spring and summer. In the winter, water does not evaporate as quickly as it would in the warmer months. One may think, due to our climate-controlled homes, that our plants do not know the difference between summer and winter. But, there are usually minuscule differences to your home’s overall temperature and humidity levels that your plants are very aware of.
Water your houseplants deeply, until water pools out the bottom into a tray, and then try not to water again until the top layer of soil is dry. For some varieties of plants, this may take weeks for the plant to be dry enough to water deeply again. This will ensure you are not overwatering your plants in the winter.
- Keep the Cold at Bay
One of the trickiest parts of winterizing your plants is keeping them far enough away from the windows without compromising their light source. Cold windows can cause your plants to drop leaves and get cold burns in some cases. Although some leaf drop is normal in the cooler months, you will want to monitor your plants to make sure they are not losing too many.
To aid this issue, give your plants the space they need. 4-6 inches away from the windows will make sure they can stay warm as well as have enough light.
PRO TIP: When thinking about temperatures in the winter, make sure to keep your plants away from vents! The warm, dry air from the heater can cause issues with your plants similar to when they are exposed to very cold temperatures.
- Inspect for Pests
Checking for pests on your houseplants is a task that should be done almost daily in the wintertime. The cold affects plants a lot like people, and sometimes our plants can start feeling a little sick from it. Here are some of the most common pests to look out for in houseplants:
- Spider Mites
- Mealy Bugs
- Thrips
- Fungus Gnats
- Fungus in soil and on foliage
If you are frightened by these critters, don’t be! Our Green Team is here to help with the right garden solutions for your plant problems. Check out Mike, the Garden Guru’s video here to learn more about what to keep in your plant’s medicine cabinet.
- Humidity, Humidity, Humidity
Many of our favorite houseplants like calatheas, monstera, alocasia, and more are tropical plants. This means they are native to environments that stay between 70-100 degrees Fahrenheit all year round. What a life! Many of us, unfortunately, don’t live in tropical paradises so we need to adjust our humidity levels for our plants, especially in the dry winters. Adding a humidity tray or even a humidifier to where your plants are will keep leaf edges from crisping and the plants will thank you for it!
- Make it Sunny (Even When it Isn’t)
Light changes are very common in the winter as the sun changes positions throughout the year, so your trusty plant window may not have as much light coming through it as it does in the spring and summer months. Amend this issue with grow lights! These will help your plants get the nutrients they need without the hassle of finding a new window to place them in front of. Check out Mike, the Garden Guru’s video on grow lights here for more information.