Houseplant Winter Care Tips

 

This past Monday, January 10, we celebrated Houseplant Appreciation Day, an appropriate observation since houseplants help beautify our homes, elevate our moods and clean the air we breathe. Taking care of your houseplants in the winter is a little different because the days are shorter, there is less natural light, and the air is drier. Keeping these things in mind, here are some tips to keep your houseplants healthy and thriving. 

You can compensate for winter’s shorter days by moving your plants to a brighter spot, if possible or by adding supplemental lighting to their current location. There is a wide variety of grow lamps to choose from, including LED, CFL and fluorescent. Supplemental lighting is available as a complete fixture or you can purchase a grow bulb that will fit a standard light socket, making it easy to increase the light levels for your houseplants. For best results, select a full-spectrum bulb. Plan to run your grow light system eight hours a day. 

Keeping your houseplants health in the winter means finding ways to raise the humidity. Humidity always drops in the winter. One way to increase the humidity is by grouping your houseplants closer together. Placing plants closer together increases the relative humidity. They evaporate moisture as they grow, raising the humidity around them naturally. 

Adding a pebble tray will also increase humidity, just make sure the bottom of the pot doesn't touch the water. Placing a room humidifier close to your plants is another way to increase the humidity around your plants.

It’s still important to keep your plants well hydrated and fed this time of year.  One way to tell if a plant needs water is to poke your finger into the soil and see how dry it is an inch or two below the surface.  A simple moisture meter will also help you decide when it’s time to water. When it is time, it’s best to use water that's room temperature. An easy way to do this is to fill your watering can the day before you plan to water and let it sit out in the room where your plants are located. 

Although they're not growing as vigorously, your houseplants still need nutrients. A good feeding regime includes adding a 10-15-10 plant food every two weeks. On the weeks you don't fertilize, use Super Thrive to provide essential minerals and vitamins needed for best growth and flowering.  Finally, keep the leaves of your houseplants clean by wiping the leaves with a soft, damp rag. Small plants can be put in the sink and rinsed off. Use products like Leaf Shine to help keep the leaves clean. Doing these things will help your houseplants do their best through the winter season.