Are your plant’s leaves looking a little droopy? Not quite growing as fast as they did in the summer? Seeing some brown tips pop up? Even us humans struggle with the colder, dry weather, so you’re probably wondering how your tropical houseplants will survive the colder months. We’d be lying if we said the winter is a breeze for indoor plant survival.. But we’ve got some tips to help your plants kick it through the winter season.
*At Plantsome, we do everything to make sure your plants are delivered to you in great condition.
Read how we carefully deliver our plants to you in winter.
Water your plants less
Most people assume that because the air is drier in the winter, plants need more hydration aka they should be watered more. Whatever you do, don’t do this. It’s common for houseplants to experience stunted growth in the winter and some actually go completely dormant.
Because they are growing slower, less water is enough to keep them hydrated. If you’re overwatering your plants in the winter, you may run into root rot, an even bigger problem you don’t want to have to deal with.
The air in your home may be a lot drier, which means the top layer exposed to the air may also dry out quicker. To make sure you’re not over watering your plant, stick your finger in the soil to see whether it is dry all the way through. If it is, then you can water your plants.
Have you met Walter White, the Plantsome watering can?
Move to the Sun
Darker, shorter days make it extremely difficult for houseplants to receive the light that they need. Not only that, but the sun’s rays also come in at a lower angle. You can make your green amigo’s lives a little easier by relocating them in the sunniest window in the winter so that they get as much natural indirect sunlight as possible. Or alternatively, add grow lights to your home to increase the amount of light they receive.
Increase the humidity in your home
Humidity is an important one for your green amigos. Tropical plants come from climates that have high humidity so that is why humidity is essential to their survival, especially in the winter when furnaces and fireplaces dry out the air even more. The average humidity that houseplants crave is anywhere between 40-60%.
There’s a few ways to increase the humidity in your home. You can either buy a humidifier and place it close to your plants, or mist your plants regularly.
Consider your home’s temperature
Tropical plants like it hot and heavy. The average temperature an indoor plant likes to be kept at is 18-23°C (65-75°F). Which means that you may not be saving money on gas bills, but at least your indoor plants will be happy and to us, that is a WIN. Temperatures do fluctuate in the night, but try not to let your home’s temperature drop below 10°C (50°F).
Cut back on the snacks
Your plant’s grow way less in the winter, which is why they don’t need fertilizer or any other type of plant nutrition during this period. And if you do end up feeding them, it may upset their natural cycle. We suggest holding off until spring when you see life come back in the form of new leaves!
Wipe your plant’s leaves
We suggest wiping the dust off of your plant’s leaves to help the little light that they do receive, get to them quicker. This extra step may not seem like it’s doing a whole lot, but trust us, the change that you don’t see in the winter will help your green amigos grow in the spring and summer months!
Looking to care for a green amigo throughout the winter and watch grow in the spring and summer months? Use our plant finder to help you pick the perfect match. Or meet your match by browsing through all plants.
