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Home  /  Industry Insights  /  Caring for Indoor Plants During Winter Months
27 January 2016

Caring for Indoor Plants During Winter Months

Written by Bryan Alaspa
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Industry Insights 4 Comments

Indoor plants during winterIn many areas this time of year the snow is falling and the pavement is frozen. You know that there are benefits to having plants indoors, particularly during winter.

However, are you aware of some of the special things you need to be doing with your green friends to keep them alive and well during winter?

Here are some tips for caring for your indoor plants during winter:

Give them light

Learn how humidity affects plants indoors

We all need light and it’s hard to get a lot of it when the days are so short like they are in the middle of winter. Plants are similar to people, they need light, even indoor plants. The amount of light that homes get during the winter months is short, and if your house doesn’t face the right way, you may only get light in certain rooms and through certain windows.

Be prepared to move your plants to windows and areas that get light during winter. Make sure that the windows are cleaned off inside and outside for maximum light. Also make sure that any dust that has gathered on the leaves has been cleaned off so the leaves can absorb that light better.

Give them water

Office Plants and Watering Can

During the winter months, most of the time the issue is not that plants don’t get enough water, but that people give them too much water. This can be particularly true if you have an indoor succulent garden.

Make sure to test more than just the top of the soil in your plants. Some plants need to totally dry out before being watered again, so go down a few inches and see if the soil is dry.

A dry home can lead to problems, too. During the winter months the air often gets dry and it gets drier if you crank up the heat. To counteract this, some people use humidifiers to try and keep the air moist. If you have plants in rooms where a humidifier is working overtime, then you probably don’t need to water them as much.

When you water plants, it’s often best to remove them from the saucer you keep them in and run them under a tap. Let the water run right through the soil and out the bottom. Put each plant back in the saucer and check again in about 15 minutes. If there’s any water sitting the saucer, get rid of it.

Watch the temperature

Keep Your Plants Healthy By Monitoring the Temperature of Your Interior

Houseplants usually come from tropical regions. They come in a wide variety of colors, sizes and shapes, and they can be particular about the temperature they prefer. Make sure you know the ideal temperature for the plants you have and keep an eye on the thermostat. Temperatures somewhere between 55 – 85 Fahrenheit are usually good for tropical plants, but it can vary depending on the species of plant you have.

Prune and repot

How To Prune

Now is the time to prune. Again, this can depend on the type of plant you have, succulents tend not to need much, if any, pruning. However, if your indoor plants include vining plants, now is the time.

Succulents also do not tend to need repotting, but if you have woody plants, they tend to go into dormancy during the colder months. Now is the time to repot woody plants so that they are ready to start budding and grow when spring comes around.

Watch for pests

ThinkstockPhotos-518042857

During the winter months the increased heat from the heaters, lack of sunlight, and increased humidity because of humidifiers all can lead to pests. Pests like spider mites, fungus gnats, mealybugs and others. Be watchful of them on your plants and take steps to eliminate them when the appear.

Why Plants are Worth the Winter Care

5 Hard-To-Kill Office Plants

Having plants around your home is great all year round. Indoor plants can even help deal with Seasonal Affective Disorder. However, for them to be effective, plants need to be cared for during these months, as well. Keep this in mind and take the necessary steps and you’ll have an indoor garden that lasts.

Ambius provides businesses around the world with plant rental and maintenance services throughout the year. If your business could use the benefits of plants, call us and we’ll help.

 

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Bryan Alaspa

Bryan has been writing in one form or another since he sat down at his mom's electric typewriter in the third grade. These days he is an online content creator for Ambius and helps manage their Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social media efforts.

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4 Comments

  1. Avatar Josh W Reply to Josh to Josh W" aria-label=' Reply to Josh to Josh W'> Reply to Josh
    September 27, 2017 at 4:20 am

    I’ve collected more than a few plants this year and am hoping to keep them all through a midwest winter. I’m subscribing here most definetly. – J

  2. Avatar Theresa Poirier Reply to Theresa to Theresa Poirier" aria-label=' Reply to Theresa to Theresa Poirier'> Reply to Theresa
    February 24, 2018 at 12:26 pm

    Can anyone help me..I have a Hibiscus ..always seems to have lots of yellow leaves..that I pull out..what am I doing wrong..I try to water a lot..in winter..humidity in the house is about 30%…my other one..use to bloom steady in the winter..not this one..why? Just curious..will try to wipe the leaves..too..see if this helps..

    • Avatar Ashley Smith Reply to Ashley to Ashley Smith" aria-label=' Reply to Ashley to Ashley Smith'> Reply to Ashley
      March 13, 2018 at 11:25 am

      It seems you may be overwatering your plant. Yellow leaves are a common symptom of overwatering. If humidity is a problem, try standing the pot on a tray with some moist fine gravel or LECA (if you can get it – it is Light Expanded Clay Aggregate – many garden centers will sell it). This will provide some local humidity around the foliage without causing the soil to get too wet. Make sure you give the plant enough light too.

  3. Pingback: Gardening Tips: Indoor Infestations - The Cape Breton Spectator

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