Caring For Your Flowers In The Winter

One struggle that many people have during the winter time is caring for their plants during the cold months. It may seem like a difficult task keeping these plants alive, but with some tips and tricks, you should be able to keep them lasting until the spring!

1. Keep Your Plants Warm – But Not Too Warm

Most plants are extremely sensitive to cold air. The best way to care for houseplants in the winter is to make sure they are protected from the cold air. This can be achieved by sealing up any doors or windows that may create a draft. If you keep plants next to outside doors or leaky window sills during the warmer months, make sure you move them to other rooms where they won’t get shocked by the cold air. Likewise, you want to keep your plants away from sources of heat, like fireplaces, radiators, and heating vents to avoid shocking them with warm air.

2. Reduce Your Watering And Use Warm Water For Plants In Winter

Majority of houseplants go ‘dormant’ in the fall and winter months. Because of the lower amounts of sunlight in the winter, your plants will grow less. This means that you will be watering your plants less frequently during these months.

Most houseplant owners will use a ‘once per week’ schedule for watering. On these days, reduce the amount of water you provide, by about 25-50%.

3. Increase Your Home’s Humidity

Plants enjoy humidity levels around 50 – 60%, so keep your humidifier running if you have one. If you don’t, try clustering your plants together in the most humid rooms of your home (most commonly the bathrooms or kitchen). Another trick is placing them on top of a large tray filled with water. (Make sure the pots don’t touch the water, so place some stones in the water and put the plants on top of the stones.)

4. Clean Your Plants

Every couple of weeks, put your plants in the bathtub and use a handheld sprayer to give the leaves a gentle shower, or use a damp towel to wipe off any dust and grime that may have built up.

5. Give Them Plenty Of Light

The last answer on how to keep your indoor plants alive is that plants need light more than anything else in the fall and winter. Remember to rotate your pots frequently to make sure each plant is getting their share of the sunlight. If your home does not get a good amount of natural light, a good option is a full-spectrum light bulb in a standard desk lamp. Use this on your plants for at least 12-14 hours a day.

By following these tips, we hope that you are able to keep your plants thriving throughout the winter months. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to give us a visit! We are happy to help with any questions you may have.