Winter Chores for Your Houseplants

Winter Indoor Garden Chores for Your Houseplants

The winter months can be hard on houseplants. The lower temperatures and decreased natural light, combined with a natural slowdown in growth, can cause problems to crop up. These challenges include a higher likelihood of diseases like root rot and a proliferation of pests like mealybugs.

Stay on top of winter houseplant chores, though, and you can help your indoor garden make it through the cold months.

Proper lighting, controlled watering, sufficient temperature and increased humidity can make all the difference in helping your indoor plants thrive through the colder months.

Ensure Good Lighting

Winter days are short, and without sufficient light, houseplants can suffer. While they might look okay initially, plants in low light will use up their stored energy, causing them to eventually shed flowers, fruits, and leaves.

If you’re concerned about your houseplants getting enough light, try adding full-spectrum lighting to your indoor garden. Such lights are available in bulbs, tubes, and light fixtures.

Place full-spectrum lights as close to the top of your houseplants as possible without burning the leaves. Doing this mimics what the sun does outdoors. Generally, you want to aim for about 4-6 inches away from the top of the plant.

Increase Humidity

Most houseplants come from tropical environments and don’t fare well in the dry indoor air of winter. Heaters exacerbate this dryness. When humidity dips below 40 percent, some sensitive houseplants will end up with leaf tip burn, leaf loss, and slower growth.

To counteract dry air, do the following:

• Place plants on humidity trays.
• Mist plants regularly.
• Group plants together to increase humidity naturally. Plants release moisture through their stomata when they breathe, humidifying neighboring plants.

Pay Attention to Temperature

True, we don’t get nearly as cold as many areas of the country, but we do experience a temperature drop in the winter months, even indoors. For sensitive houseplants that like things warm, I suggest placing their pots on a seedling heat mat. This will keep the roots warm and the plants happy until spring arrives.

Check for Pests and Treat them ASAP

In winter, common pests like mealybugs and scale can appear. Check plants weekly for pests, treat mealybugs, and scale with 70% or 91% isopropyl alcohol followed by Neem oil. The former will kill existing pests, and the latter will destroy any remaining pests and eggs. Scale tends to cling to leaves, so you will often need to brush them off with wet fingers or a microfiber cloth. I remove them after applying the alcohol.

Watch Watering

Overwatering is a common cause of houseplant loss in winter. Soggy soil leads to fungal diseases, including root rot, which is indicated by distorted new leaves, a squishy plant base, and smelly, black roots.

To help ensure your houseplants don’t succumb to root rot, only water when the top 1-2 inches of soil have dried out. When you water, soak the soil thoroughly, then allow it to nearly dry out between waterings. If using a moisture meter, water when it reads 4, nearly 3.

Have Faith

With a little extra attention and some good pep talks, your houseplants will not only survive winter but are likely to thrive.