When winter hits, it’s a hard time for your indoor house plants due to the fact that they are losing out all the benefits of summer. Signs of fall coming include droopy ends, no new flowers will grow, and leaves will start to fall. Don’t worry, and the plants are still alive and you’ll need to learn how to prepare house plants for winter.
Depending on what type of plant species it is, it may be becoming dormant even if it’s the best indoor plants for winter. This usually lasts a few weeks to several months. In this article, we’ll teach you how to keep indoor plants alive in winter.
Watering Sessions
According to homemaker guide, flowers go dormant during the colder months, which means they won’t be using as much energy. There’s less of a need to water them other than to keep them alive as they wait for the spring. During winter, plants are highly susceptible to overwatering, so it’s best to limit how much you give them.
Signs of overwatered plants tend to be droopy leaves, any color showing that’s tinted yellow, or if the soil is always wet. Every plant is different, so you’ll need to check how often that plant needs to be watered. If you can’t find the winter rates, we suggest halving the average amount.
Stop Fertilizing
During winter the flower won’t even need the fertilizer because it won’t be awake enough to absorb it. It’s easy to be tempted to place more down thinking it will use it while it’s asleep. However, that’s not true. Instead, it will sit around the flower and absorb the plant’s water and eventually kill the plant.
Houseplants rarely need this much fertilizer, but your outdoor flowers are much different. You may be able to get away with fertilizing outdoor flowers right before winter, but we don’t recommend to continue doing so.
Adjusting Temperature: How to Keep Indoor Plants Warm in Winter
Temperature also plays a significant role in the lifespan of your plant. If it’s exposed to either too cold of weather or excessively hot conditions, then it can quickly die over time. Depending upon what type of plant it is, you’ll need to create the appropriate temperature for it. Forex Maple, tropical plants tend to need light, be around no drafts, and get enough water.
Moving flowers away from doors, windows, or ventilated areas can help them stay healthy and at the correct temperature. If the plant is stuck in the area, then we suggest sealing in the drafts by using blankets or tape. This can help prevent the draft from sneaking in and will keep the plants healthy.
On the other hand, the inside temperature will need to stay consistent. Having an interior that’s too hot can confuse the plant and lead it in and out of hibernation. Move any radiators or heaters away from the plants and let them sit at one consistent temperature. Grouping similar plants together and using a slight mist can help prevent them from drying out and becoming uncomfortable.
Adjusting Light & Grow Light
Plants thrive off of light, so be sure to have them near a source of natural lighting. A lamp won’t work unless you have one of the incandescent bulbs with a full spectrum to use on plant types. However, merely placing your flowers near a door, window, or open form of lighting will be significant enough to keep it alive. Also consider what side of the house it’s on, as sometimes the light won’t hit all windows.
Adjusting Humidity or Use Humidifier
During winter months, it gets extremely dry and leaves the plants without much-needed water throughout the day. We’d recommend either getting a mister or at least spraying the paint with a water bottle.
Doing this once or twice a day can help prevent them from drying out, which can easily occur if not done for a few days at a time. Additionally, flowers that are well watered will retain their naturally vibrant colors instead of looking dim or wilted.
Wait to Re-pot
The only time you’ll need to repot your plant is if something has happened to it. Repotting your plant in mid-winter can be extremely damaging and jarring for the plant. Roots tend to grow very slowly during the winter months. If you accidentally damage a while repotting the plant will end up losing out on growing back. This will affect it when it resurfaces again in the springtime.
Instead, focus on pruning back leaves that are turning either brown or yellow. These types of leaves tend to signify that parts of the flower are dying and they need to be dealt with to stop it from spreading.
Clean the Leaves
You may not think about it, but over time your plants end up accumulating a bunch of dust and debris over the next few weeks. If you don’t want to leave them like that, it’s best to give them a quick rinse or bath to get rid of any harmful bacteria.
Wipe down the plant with a damp cloth and make sure to treat it gently. The leaves often have small pores which help the plant breath, so being gentle is ideal. Alternatively, you could place your flowers into the sink or in the shower as long as the water pressure is turned to a sprinkle. The water must also be lukewarm. Otherwise, you risk damaging the outer fibers.
Conclusion
Giving your winter houseplants the essentials to help them stay healthy throughout the cold months is ideal. Although, don’t be alarmed if some of them start to wilt or die over the winter months. Not all flowers are born with the same genetics, making some naturally stronger than others.
However, a healthy diet and plenty of sunlight and water can help nurture them throughout the months. After the winter season is over, you can then begin repotting them and going about your regular routine. Hopefully, you’ve learned a bit more about how you can take care of your plants during winter here!