Courtesy: Freepik
It’s not news that plants prefer summer’s warm weather and sunshine to winter’s chilly air and clouds- this is the same for outdoor and indoor plants. The cold winds of winter can negatively affect your houseplants even though they are indoors. However, there are helpful tips to help your plants stay lush and hydrated throughout the winter months. Here are five tips to keep your plants healthy in the cold weather.
Resist the urge to repot
Many people often feel tempted to make changes to their houseplants when the cold begins to hit. However, repotting your plants is one of those urges you have to resist in harsh weather.
Repotting your houseplants can shock them since they are dormant, negatively affecting their growth or even killing them. Spring and summer are the best times to repot your houseplants; winter is never a good time.
Humidity is very crucial
During winter months, the air inside our homes becomes drier. However, most houseplants, especially those originally from tropical areas, thrive when humidity levels are around 40 to 50%; humidity levels are around 10 to 20% inside homes during winter.
This makes it necessary to up the humidity around the plants to help them grow well. To do this, you could cluster your houseplants together to increase the humidity around them. The water lost naturally through the leaves and evaporating from the potting soil will increase the humidity around your plants.
The right way to water your plants
The less sunlight a plant gets, the less thirsty it becomes. So, since winter means less sunlight, it’s a period when plants don’t require much water. It’s advisable to cut back on watering your plants during this time.
To be sure you’re not overwatering your plants, you can poke your finger into the soil- if it’s moist, you can skip watering for the day, but if it’s dry, you can water the plant. It’s always better to under-water your plants than to over-water them.
Temperature extremes aren’t good
For most houseplants, regular household temperatures that are okay for you are also okay for the plants. Even during the winter, your houseplants can grow healthily in regular temperature; the issue is temperature extremes.
Sudden cold or hot drafts can cause cold damage or dry your houseplants out. That’s why it’s important to keep your houseplants away from radiators, cold drafts, or hot air vents.
The most important patrol
Although there are always pests in different seasons, winter is the prime time for aphids, spider mites, and other pets to disturb houseplants. Since these pests like warm, dry conditions, they are always common during winter.
You should turn your plants’ leaves over to check their undersides for pests; you should also check plant stems too. Wipe off pests with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball; you could use insecticidal soap for large pest infestations.