Preparing Plants for Winter Care
The leaves have fallen from the trees, there’s a crisp chill in the air, and the days have become shorter and shorter. As we bid farewell to autumn and welcome the winter months in, you may be wondering how your indoor plants may react to the changes of the outside world.
On the topic of winter plants and winter preparation, there are many questions that come to mind. How can you help prepare for changing light exposure patterns? Are your plants actually dying or are they going through their own seasonal cycles?
With energy prices soaring and governments urging limited indoor heat due to widespread gas shortages, we’re due for a colder winter than usual. And like humans stocking up on blankets and warmer clothing, there are many ways you can prepare your office and house plants for these colder months ahead.
How Do Seasonal Changes Affect Indoor Plants?
Although the seasons change more dramatically outside, indoor plant growth tends to follow seasonal patterns as well, like naturally dropping leaves in the autumn and winter months. But with temperature and light changes, plants can also be susceptible to more harmful effects such as frost, overwatering, pests, and drying out.
Preparing Plants for Winter
No, you don’t have to knit your Kentia palm a sweater…(but do keep in mind species factors such as tropical indoor plants being accustomed to warmer and wetter climates). So light changes and temperature drops, how can we prepare for them?
Plants will naturally receive less sunlight than usual in the colder months, so think about placement. Moving plants closer to light sources like windows or even supplementing with indoor plant lights can be a big help. Winter frost on plants can be deadly so make sure plants placed closer to windows aren’t coming into contact with glass.
In the winter, a heated living space can mean less moisture in the air therefore less humidity for your plants. One way to combat this is to increase humidity by placing plants on trays of pebbles with water. You can also consider getting a small humidifier.
Winter Plant Care
Overwatering during the winter is a common mistake as plants tend to take in less water due to decreased light exposure. Think about adjusting your watering schedule and always check soil moisture levels with your finger before watering.
The natural growth spurts that plants experience in the spring and summer mean more fertilizer, but in the winter and fall as plant growth subsides, fertilizer feeding cycles need to be adjusted. We recommend not fertilizing through the cold months and waiting for spring to pick the feeding back up.
Bugs and pests such as spider mites may try to keep warm and dry in your plants. Keep a watchful eye and check out our guide to treating plant pest infestations here.
And finally, though you may want to change things up with a new pot or propagate some new friends, it’s best to avoid repotting and propagating during winter months when growth tends to slow down. This gives us all something to look forward to when springtime comes around!
For now, hunker down through the cold and keep these winter plant care tips in mind so that your green friends prosper toward a lovely spring.
Read the original article here.
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