Are your plants ready for winter?

[The Plant Point]

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Plant Care in Winter​

It's coming… Though a little later than usual, cold days are just around the
corner; so here’s our short guide on how to prepare and care for your plants
through winter.​

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1. Watering

With shorter days there’s less light available for your plants and what they
do receive is a lot weaker than in Summer. While they may still grow, it’ll be
significantly slower and as a result your plants definitely won’t need as much
water as they do in summer. So our tip is to go easy on the watering and let your
plants dry out a little more than usual. If you do have a schedule, stick with it and
check them weekly but always ensure the soil is dry enough before watering.
Remember, overwatering can be more dangerous for your plants than
underwatering, especially in the colder months.​

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2. Light Many plants will struggle due to the lack of light so now is the best time for some rearranging. Plants that were just about managing in their current spot, perhaps in the corner of your room or in an alcove, will likely no longer receive enough light in winter. With this in mind consider moving your plants closer to the nearest window or into a brighter room and do what you can to reduce any obstructions to the light they can access. Rotating your plants regularly during winter can help ensure all of the leaves will have access to light at some point, reducing the likelihood of your plant shedding ‘unused’ leaves.​

[td] 3. Dropping leaves Even if you rotate your plants regularly, be prepared to lose a few leaves here and there. Just like in the forests outside, your indoor jungle will still shed a little. This is a normal cycle due to light and temperature changes, it’s not all bad though, just say goodbye to those old leaves knowing your plant is making space for fresh new ones in spring. 4. Humidity As nice as it can be to have the heating on, our plants aren’t as big fans of the dry air that comes with it so try to increase the humidity around your plants where possible. Try keeping your plants clustered close together, that way water evaporating from the potting soil, as well as water lost naturally through the leaves, will raise the relative humidity level around the plants. Another trick to try is placing your plants on a tray of pebbles and water. The pebbles keep the plant out of the water preventing rot and as the water evaporates it creates a more humid environment, this can also be achieved in an outer pot that is larger than the nursery pot within.​

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5. Get Rid of the Dust Dust attracts pests, so don’t forget to clean those leaves. The easiest way to do so is to periodically rinse them under the shower or simply use a wet cloth, as a bonus your plants’ clean leaves will shine. 6. No Cold Drafts, No Hot Radiators Houseplants tend not to like cooler temperatures, so if you have any around drafty windows it would be a good idea to move them to a more stable environment for the time being. This will also keep them away from the cold drafts that most plants aren’t a fan of, which can also contribute to leaf drop. When moving your plants to new places, watch out for the hot air coming out of your radiators, especially if you have palms, that’s the hot dry air that they don’t like.​

7. Fertiliser Since your plants are in ‘sleeping’ mode (dormant) most of them will be happy to have a break from fertiliser as they won’t make much use of it and it can even build up in the soil to harmful levels. As soon as spring rolls around your plants will be glad to be back on their favourite plant food and their growth will take off once more!​

Once you’ve checked all the boxes, make yourself a tea and relax. Until spring there’s not much to do, in a way winter is like a vacation for us plant lovers (once you’ve prepared for it). Now simply neglect your plants a little and prepare yourself for the repotting season in spring.​