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As we transition into winter, it’s important to consider our plants. Caring for houseplants in winter, believe it or not, is different than caring for houseplants throughout the rest of the year!
It seems like that wouldn’t make much sense—indoor plants are indoors for a reason, right? So we can enjoy them all year round in a controlled environment. Sure, that’s true. But for those of us who live in areas that get cold winters, there are still some factors that affect houseplants in the winter.
How do you keep houseplants alive in the winter?
When thinking about caring for houseplants in winter, consider the following:
Watering
Plants are not in the active growth stage during the winter. Most plants slow down their growth and some even go completely dormant. Therefore, plants do not need to be watered as often because they simply won’t use it. Also with shorter days and lack of light, excess water won’t evaporate as quicky. You should water your plants when the soil is dry about an inch or two down, but you’ll notice that this won’t happen as frequently as in the spring and summer.
Overwatering is easier to do in the winter, and you definitely don’t want your plant sitting in damp, dark conditions, or it could be at risk of root rot. Using a moisture meter, such as this one, can be a huge help in determining if your plant actually needs water.
I also wrote a post on how to tell if your plant needs water, with other helpful watering tips, so check that out!
Humidity
Cold air is dry air, and with the heat on and pumping into our homes on top of that, plants that sit close to vents really suffer. Most common houseplants like humidity all year round (it’s important in the summer, too, because air conditioning also makes our homes dry) but I’d really encourage you to provide your plants with extra humidity especially in the winter. A humidifier is the easiest way to do this, but there are many other methods. Check out my post on easy ways to create humidity for your housepalnts.
Keep in mind that if a plant is near a vent with constant dry air blowing its way you might actually have to water this plant MORE instead of decreasing watering—however, additional humidity can help to counteract that. A humidity gauge, like this one, is very helpful to keep track of your plants’ humidity needs. I’m also really liking this humidifier right now. Some people prefer bigger humidifiers but I personally like smaller ones that are easy to set on a tabletop.
Light
There is less light during cold months when the days get shorter, so consider moving your plants to a spot in your home that receives more light. If this isn’t an option for you, I totally understand, because it’s not an option for me either! In this case, I’d highly suggest purchasing some grow lights to help supplement the lack of natural light. I wrote a post all about grow lights with grow light recommendations, so be sure to take a look at that, too!
Temperature and drafts
Typically, anything below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celcius) is too cold for most houseplants. While I DID mention moving your plants closer to where the light is, be mindful of cold and drafty areas near windows and doors. Try to seal up any noticeable drafts and move your plants further away from any extremely drafty and cold areas, like a front entryway where the door constantly opens and closes.
Fertilizing
Plants only need to be fertilized during the active growth stages, which is in the spring and summer, and a little bit into fall. Houseplants in the winter do not need to be fertilized. This bums me out because I actually really like fertilizing my plants and seeing the spurts of growth that result. If you’re like me, please resist the urge to fertilize your plants during this time. This can actually be really harmful and result in burnt foliage since the plant will not use the nutrients.
I WILL say that an expectation can be made for plants that are still growing, such as many fast-growing vining plants that don’t go dormant. You can try using a VERY SMALL amount of fertilizer on plants that are still growing, and not as frequently as you would during the summer. But overall, I would encourage you to just put the fertilizer away for the winter.
Pests
Continue to check your plants as usual for bugs, which should be on a regular basis. Personally, I’ve never experienced worse problems with bugs in the winter, but the dry air, less airflow through your home, and cold weather outside do cause bugs to seek shelter indoors. It’s something to be mindful of.
If your houseplants are still outside, then be sure to debug them before you bring them back inside. I’ve really been liking Bonide’s Systemic House Plant Insect Control as a preventative measure. Just be extremely careful if you have pets as it could harm them if ingested.
Repotting
In general, you shouldn’t repot your houseplants in the winter, but there are always cases when a potbound plant desperately needs to be repotted and you won’t have a choice. It should be fine, but try to wait until the spring if possible.
Propagating
Do not take cuttings from plants that go dormant or significantly slow their growth in the winter. In my experience, taking a cutting or two from plants that are still growing, like pothos or philodendron for example, is fine. Just don’t take too much at once or it can shock your plant.
Why are my indoor plants dying in winter?
If your plants start to die in the winter, any of the factors discussed above could be the problem. Extremely dry air, root rot due to overwatering, lack of light, being too close to cold temperatures and drafts, and bugs are the most common culprits.
Pay attention to your plants—are they sitting in a wet pot, do you notice the room has gotten a lot darker recently, is the air really dry? By examining each of these factors individually, it will help to determine the culprit.
Remember, some plants will go dormant or even die back completely and then reemerge in the growing season.
Do indoor plants grow in winter?
Many plants, such as plants that have bulbs, go dormant in the winter. However, some plants will continue to grow, including:
- Certain plants that are fast growers to begin with, such as vining plants like pothos and philodendron—although they probably won’t grow as fast
- Plants that do well in low light all year round such as snake plants or ZZ plants
- Some cacti and succulents, which like dry environments anyway (providing they’re not next to a cold or drafty window)
- Plants in a closed terrarium, which acts as its own mini ecosystem
Is buying houseplants in winter OK?
If the plant is being shipped to, from, or even through a cold area, I would avoid buying houseplants in the winter. I’ve ordered plants in the winter before and they’ve been OK, but it’s just risky and there are many times when the plant WON’T be OK. Online plant sellers will (or at least, they should) have the option to purchase a heat pack for an additional fee—even if it’s a few extra dollars, I strongly suggest you purchase the heat pack!
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