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Have you recently accumulated a massive plant collection or even just a handful of houseplants? Whether you just got into plants or started hoarding plants during the current Covid situation, winter is coming! At least for some of us. I’m from Canada and our winters can get pretty cold and dreary. But even if you aren’t from Canada, you may experience a drop in temperature and daylight in the coming months. Caring for plants in winter can be a bit of a challenge. Are you prepared to keep your plant babies alive?
Spring and Summer are the growing season for many plants. This is when they are more likely to thrive. Now that winter is on the way it’s time to modify your plant care routine. Winter brings on shorter days, colder temperatures and dry air. The conditions are changing and your plants might not take it too well. But it’s okay, there are things that can be done to prevent your plants from getting the winter blues.
Being prepared for it is key.
Here are some winter survival tips:
DO A PLANT PURGE
A plant purge is not necessary but it is something that I do and highly recommend if you have a big collection. Now is the time to Marie Kondo your plant collection. Go through your plants, anything that does not spark joy; Sell it! Trade it! Swap it! Give it away! Just get rid of it. Life is too short to spend ,time and effort on things that don’t bring you joy and that includes dealing with plants in winter.
AVOID RE-POTTING PLANTS IN WINTER
The last week of summer or first week of Fall is when I do a huge re-pot of all my plants that need it. After that I will avoid re-potting any of my plants unless it’s absolutely necessary. Winter is hard enough on plants they do not need the extra stress of being plucked from their home and relocated. The more stress the harder it is to recover.
You may also like: How to Make the Most of Your Plant Pots
ADJUST WATERING
If you have locked down a watering routine during the spring and summer months it’s time to modify your routine. Conditions are changing and it’s time to adjust. I’m a huge advocate of intuitive watering all year round. Plants are all different with their needs and watering them all at the same time may not be the best for your plants in winter or any time of year.
Depending on your indoor conditions, your plants may not need to be watered as frequently in winter. If you haven’t already, it may be a good idea to pick up a moisture meter. Over watering can kill your plants. A moisture meter will help you determine if your plant actually needs to be watered.
TIP: Use room temperature/luke warm water. If water is too cold it can be shocking to your plant.
STOP FERTILIZING PLANTS DURING WINTER
Most plants do not grow very quickly during winter and do not need to be fertilized. It’s best to save your fertilizer until the growing season hits again. However, If you are seeing growth in your plants you may want to just reduce the frequency of fertilizing and dilute your fertilizer to quarter the strength.
INCREASE LIGHTING
Along with winter comes shorter days. Which means less light for your plants. If you have a lot of windows moving your plants closer to the window can help. You will want to make sure your plants aren’t right up against the window because they can get pretty cold. Also make sure you clean your windows and leaves to maximize light absorption.
If your plants already have a front row seat near your brightest window it may be a good idea to add some artificial lights as well. Most houseplants need 14-16 hours of light per day. I turn mine on when I wake up in the morning and off when I go to bed. I do this to mimic the same light/dark cycle they would receive during the spring/summer months. I’m using these full spectrum grow lights from Amazon: LED Grow Light Full Specturm 6 pack
If you do not have a regular sleep schedule then you can also set up your lights with a outlet timer. You can set the timer for when to turn them on and off every day.
I like these lights because they are LED 10W, they don’t over heat or rack up my hydro bill. It also comes with 6, 2FT lights (these fit perfect in my Ikea Milsbo Cabinet.) They can all be connected or set up individually. These specific ones are full spectrum and are a purple/pink colour. If you don’t like the colour there are white lights available. If you don’t want to splurge on grow lights you can try daylight LED bulbs in a lamp and shine the bulb on your plants. I’m going to try this with some of my bigger plants that will not fit on my plant shelves.
INCREASE HUMIDITY FOR PLANTS IN WINTER
Along with winter comes cold dry air which means low humidity. Most houseplants need humidity levels to be between 50-70%. You won’t want your humidity to stay too much higher than 70% as this could cause mold and bacteria to form.
If you are not sure what the humidity levels are in your home it is a good idea to use a Hygrometer. I have two hygrometers. I use this Doqaus Hygrometer. It’s the cheapest option I’ve found on amazon and it works. I place one in my greenhouse cabinet and one on my plan shelf. I like this This will tell you the temperature and humidity levels in a space. If you have a lot of plants it may be a good idea to use a humidifier or indoor greenhouse.
I use this humidifier: Tao Tronics Cool Mist Humidifier.
But I have also heard great things about this Levoit Humidifier.
For more tips on increasing humidity check out: 9 ways to increase humidity for your plants
PAY ATTENTION TO TEMPERATURE
Some plants will always go dormant in winter. They may lose all their leaves and look dead but they may just be dormant and grow back in the Spring. It is a good idea to know the growing patterns of your plants. You do not want to end up throwing out a perfectly good plant because you didn’t know it goes dormant in winter.
Some plants will go dormant if the temperature goes below 16C/60F. Temperatures 10C/50F and lower can cause damage and even kill tropical plants. If you have control over your thermostat you might want to set it for 18C or higher. Most tropical plants thrive in temperatures between 18-24C/65-75F. Keeping the right temperature range can help your houseplants survive and also prevent them from going dormant during winter.
PLANT PEST PREVENTION
Winter conditions can also be prime time for plant pests. Following the tips above can help you provide your plants with a better environment to ward off unwanted pests. But it is a great idea to take extra precautions. Since you may not have to as much watering, re-potting and fertilizing during winter it may be a good idea to spend that time on pest prevention.
Wiping down plants can help prevent pests or at least catch them early. I like to fill a spray bottle with water, a couple drops of Dr.Bronners mild castile soap and a few drops of neem oil. Once weekly or biweekly I will check out my plants for any signs of pests and even if I don’t see any I will wipe down the leaves. I like to spray all the leaves and stems with my solution and wipe the leaves with a micro-fibre cloth. I do not usually rinse my plants afterwards but you can. Just be careful not to over saturate your soil in the process.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
Winter is not only hard on your plants but it can be hard on us too. Lack of vitamin D, cold weather, staying inside more often can all take it’s toll. Do not forget to take care of yourself. Taking care of a lot of plants can be overwhelming and it won’t be any easier if you aren’t nurturing yourself too.
May you and your plants make it through winter happy and healthy!
Drop a comment below and let me know how you and your plants are making it through the winter!
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