How to Care for Your Indoor Plants During the Winter Season
As the fall season approaches, it's essential to give your indoor plants the attention they need. Houseplants play a crucial role in satisfying your green thumb throughout the colder months, adding a touch of nature to your home, and reminding us to care for something other than ourselves. When the temperatures drop below 55 degrees, it's time to bring your outdoor plants back inside. In this context, we present four essential steps to care for your plants during the winter, along with an additional tip at the end:
1. Selecting the Right Indoor Location for Your Plants
During the summer, your plants enjoy the natural sunlight
and warm temperatures when they're moved outdoors. However, as temperatures dip
below 55 degrees, it's time to move them back indoors. Finding the ideal spot
for each plant inside your home is crucial. Some plants need direct sunlight,
so place them near a sunny window, while others thrive in indirect light.
Additionally, consider drafty windows and their impact on your plants, as well
as their distance from heating systems to prevent drying out. If you don't have
a suitable window, consider using grow lights to provide the necessary UV rays.
2. Ensure Your Plants Are Pest-Free
Before transitioning your plants indoors, it's essential to
check for any signs of pests. You can use the dunking method to eliminate
unwanted guests. Flip your plant upside down and immerse it in a bath of water
with neem oil and castile soap, ensuring all the leaves are coated. Then,
submerge the entire plant, including the pot, in the same bath and hold it
there until no more bubbles appear. This process provides the plant with needed
hydration and effectively deals with most pests.
3. Upgrade to a Larger Pot If Necessary
Throughout the summer, your plants may have experienced
growth due to ample sunlight. This might be the right time to repot them into
larger containers. Examine the roots to see if they're root-bound, indicating
the need for more space. If you prefer to keep your plant small, you can trim
the roots or even divide the plant. However, avoid keeping an oversized plant
in a too-small pot.
4. Clean Up Your Plants and Adjust Their Watering and Feeding
If your plants have dead or diseased leaves, it's time to
trim them off using freshly cleaned scissors. It's acceptable to remove leaves
that aren't meeting the standards, and you can also cut away unsightly parts of
leaves, as with a monstera plant. Even if your plants look healthy now, the
reduced light they receive during the winter can lead to some leaf drop, which
is normal. You might feel the urge to fertilize your plants, but due to the
lower light and temperatures, they are in a state of slowed growth. Therefore,
fertilization isn't necessary until spring, and you should also cut back on
watering. Pay attention, and you'll notice that using less water still
maintains moist but not waterlogged soil around your plant roots.
5. Allow Your Plants Some Rest
With the arrival of winter, reduced light and lower temperatures,
it's important to give your plants some rest. There won't be much growth during
this time, so avoid stressing your plants by trying to stimulate excessive
growth. Let them rest and rejuvenate naturally, and they'll resume growth when
spring arrives.
In summary, by caring for your plants during the winter,
you'll ensure they stay healthy and thrive throughout the year. Follow these
steps, and you'll have a green and beautiful indoor environment throughout the
winter season.