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Don’t let your houseplants die this winter. Today, I am sharing my winter indoor plant care tips!
Winter is approaching quickly, which means months of dry air, frigid temps, and high heat bills! Although that sounds really terrible, it’s just as terrible as knowing that sometimes houseplants won’t make it through the winter.
I have a love-hate relationship with winter. I love playing in the snow with our dogs, but sometimes the long cold months and lack of sunlight can be a little overwhelming. It’s the same for indoor plants: even when they are in our warm and cozy living room, indoor plants can suffer from the short winter days’ negative effects and lack of humidity.
Quick and Easy Houseplant Winter Survival Guide
Pay Attention to Temperature and Humidity Levels
Rapid temperature fluctuations can hurt your plants, so place them away from heat sources and areas that are cold and drafty.
Houseplants are a lot like people in terms of what temperature and humidity level they like best. Most houseplants grow best in daytime temperatures between 65° and 75° Fahrenheit and nighttime temperatures above 50° Fahrenheit.
In the winter, our homes are often less humid, which can be damaging to our houseplants. Most houseplants do best with about 50% humidity, and most homes in winter have humidity levels much lower than that.
I have a blog post all about the best humidifiers for houseplants: The Best Humidifiers for Houseplants: Get the Right One for Your Green Thumb: If you’re looking to keep your plants healthy and thriving, you may need to invest in a humidifier.
If you don’t have a humidifier, you may need to invest in one to keep your plants happy. Another way to increase humidity is to put a bowl of water near your plants. It’s also helpful to group your plants. The leaves of plants give off water, and they can naturally raise the humidity level for each other when placed in a group.
Choose the Right Time to Prune Your Houseplants
Most houseplants need to be pruned in late winter or early spring, as their growing season begins. Flowering houseplants can be pruned after they are done flowering. Indoor trees and shrubs usually need to be pruned year-round, depending on how quickly they grow.
Provide Additional Lighting for Your Houseplant this Winter
Most plants don’t get enough sunlight in the winter to thrive. Adding fluorescent or LED lights to the area where you keep your plants can give them the added light they need while also brightening up your living space.
I use Haus Bright LED Grow Light Bulbs for my houseplants during the winter.
Artificial light is a great booster during the gloomy months – but for homes with low light adding artificial light to your home could really help your houseplants thrive! I have a more in-depth post HERE – please, let me know if you have any questions about it in the comments.
Limit Watering
Although the air is drier in winter, your houseplants will actually need less water. They tend to grow slower in winter, and some plants even go dormant. To determine if a plant needs water, press your finger an inch or two below the surface to see if the soil feels dry there. If it does, water your plant using water as close to the air temperature in your house as possible.
Avoid Fertilizing or Repotting Your Houseplants in Winter
Just as plants need less water in the winter, they also need less fertilizing. Most plants won’t need any, as a matter of fact. It’s also a good idea to avoid repotting your houseplants during the winter. Repotting is difficult for plants, and it’s best to do this when they are strongest in the spring.
Watch for Pests
Even though there are fewer bugs around in the winter, it’s still possible for some insects to sneak in on a new plant or hide out through the summer and emerge in colder weather. Be sure to keep pots clear of debris and check the undersides of leaves periodically for pests or eggs.
As always, I hope this post was helpful! If you have any specific questions, feel free to send me a message, email, or connect with me on Instagram! I love helping houseplant lovers!
Want More Houseplant Tips? Follow me on Instagram @House_Fur
