Many popular indoor plants originate from climates that are hot and humid all year-round. These plants look their best with mega doses of sunlight and can look unhealthy during the shorter, lower-light days of winter. Factor in the lack of humidity when you turn on the heat inside your home, and you can see why keeping your indoor plants vibrant during colder months requires planning.
Prepare your potted plants
While you should always remove any dead, yellow, or damaged leaves as part of your regular indoor plant maintenance, doing this before winter arrives is especially important. Give the remaining healthy leaves a shower to remove accumulated dust, allowing more of winter’s light to penetrate the surface of the leaf.
Consider repotting
If you have an indoor plant where the dirt dries out too often or you see roots popping out from the bottom, consider repotting it into a slightly larger container. Gently remove the plant, trying not to damage the root system. Also remove the older unnecessary taproots that run around the inside of the pot. When these roots are removed, it encourages new roots to grow that are better able to absorb water and nutrients.
Evaluate plant location
Plants that bask in spring and summer sunlight to look their best can fade over winter. You may have to move your plants around in order for them to absorb the amount of sunlight they need.
- Depending upon the variety, there are plants that can make do with indirect light during the winter if you decrease their sun exposure gradually.
- Many flowering winter indoor plants, such as a Christmas cactus, thrive on a certain amount of daily sun while preferring a window sill for a cool location at night.
- Wash your windows to allow more direct and indirect sunlight inside.
- Keep all plants away from a direct heat vent or other heat source, including any drafty spots. Most plants will stress when exposed to extreme hot and cold temperatures.
Add more humidity
Low levels of humidity cause indoor plants to release vapor almost as fast as they absorb water. This action results in wilted leaves or leaves that turn brown at the tips. Blooms on flowering plants might dry up or won’t bloom at all unless you figure out a way to raise the humidity level inside your home. You can purchase a room humidifier that benefits your family and your plants, or group your plants together using a water tray with gravel where you set the potted plants on top.
Control fertilizer
It’s generally recommended not to fertilize plants during winter months when they are in a dormant stage, unless you have a flowering winter plant with special requirements. When you apply adequate indoor plant fertilizer per the directions during growing season, your indoor plants won’t need fertilizer during winter. The rule of thumb is not to fertilize indoor plants between the months of October and April.
Don’t overwater indoor plants
Allow your potted plants to dry out slightly before watering, but not to the point where they go into shock and die. Differently-sized pots and different varieties of plants all have differing water needs. Each should be checked on a daily basis and then watered per their requirements to avoid root rot.
Plants are like people in that they are all uniquely different. Learn all that you can about your indoor potted plants, and they should continue to look vibrant during the colder months.
