5 Expert Tips To Care Plants In Winter

Plants are an essential part of our life as they provide us with oxygen and absorb all the pollutants in the air, making the air fresh.

Winter is a tranquil season as most outdoor plants aren’t doing much. The same is for indoor plants. The growing condition of plants in the home changes in many ways during the darker and colder days of the year. It depends on how you care for your plants in winter to keep them healthy. 

Before starting, consider that different plants vary in their winter care needs, so it is advisable to do little research about the plants you have in your home.

In general, you can cut on the water compared to the summer season. In winter, the soil doesn’t dry quickly and remains soggy all the time. Winter is the time to prepare the plants for the upcoming year by simply taking care of them. Readying the plants means protecting them from the changing temperature like highs to lows, lower light levels, and indoor air. 

10 essential things to do during winter according to expert gardeners.

1. Shift the plants indoors during the winter season. The indoor air is extremely dry, which may lead to leaves turning yellow, brown, or curling down. 
2. As humidity is very low inside the home. It is beneficial to have a room humidifier during winter, but if you don’t have one, you can keep the plants in the bathroom or kitchen as the humidity level is much higher in these places than in the other part of the house.
3. Decrease the amount of water poured into the plant’s pots and make the irrigation more frequent. Water the plant only when you see the top two inches of the soil feel dry on touching. Also, use the room temperature water not too cold, not too hot.
4. The plants’ growth is much slower compared to another season in winter, which leads to root rot also. Best plant health care services say some plants need little water, and even some need no water during winter, like cacti and other succulents.
5. It is necessary to move the plants to brighter spots like the windows facing west or south. Always make sure to rotate the plants regularly so that each part gets equal sunlight. If you don’t have a window use the tube lights to supplement the light.
6. Wash your windows regularly in autumn to maximize the light to get through them in winters. Open the curtains or shades during the daytime to make the sunlight enter the rooms where plants are kept.
7. You can also use humidity trays, shallow trays with a layer of wet pebbles. 
8. You can wipe the leaves with a damp and soft cloth to clear the leaves’ surface to absorb the light effectively.
9. Use the fertilizers to encourage new growth during the winter months. Also, repot the plant for active development of the plant. But be careful before disturbing the roots as fall, and extreme winters are not a good time for this work.
10. Trim the plants when you see their yellowish or brown growth on the plants. Also, remove the dead parts of the plants. But don’t prune the healthy green parts of the plants as it can disturb the new growth. 

Tips to take care of plants in winter

1. Cut down on your watering schedule 

The days are short and the ambient light is less. According to Best plant health care services to keep the plants inside the home. Due to this, photosynthesis slows down, and the plants go into the resting phase. Before watering the plants in winter, take a moment to check the soil with your finger. Just soak the plant whenever the soil is dry, as the soil will not be drying very fast. The roots won’t need much water in winters.

In winter, the plants go in hibernation mode, and if you keep watering them, they may develop rot or disease due to excess water. Some unique species like citrus plants tend to perform better in more moist soil.

During summer, which plant needs water every week may not require water even for two weeks in the winter season. So check the soil only instead of following a watering schedule as it is easy to add water to the plant instead of removing it from the pot.

Consider the following things like the size of the pot, light conditions, degree of humidity, and soil makeup before making the watering schedule of plants during winter.

2. Clean the leaves

The homes are kept closed during the winter season, and more dust spreads through the air. This dust stays on the leaves of the plants, which is terrible news as it will encourage diseases and make the surface of the leaves harder. This results in preventing the plants from absorbing the sunlight and preparing food.

You can lightly brush the leaves to dust off them and use a damp and soft cloth to wipe the leaves. You can also stand the plant in Luke’s warm water shower for five minutes. Avoid using fancy leaf shiners available in the market as they are not suitable for all the plants. These shiners block the pores and stop the breathing process.

Always pick a snowy, cold day to clean the plants as heat can blow a lot of dust in the house. The leaves of the plants need to breathe for their excellent health.

3. Temperature and humidity

Ensure to keep the plants near the heat sources and away from the heating vent; don’t put the plants right next to fireplaces. Also, keep the plants away from doors and windows at night as nights are more relaxed.

Minimize extreme temperature as if the plant’s leaves have adjusted in the indoor environment. Most plants need a temperature of 12-18 degrees C. To maintain the temperature by moving the plants in sunlight in the daytime. Keep rotating them to give equal light to all parts of the plant.

Maintain the humidity near the plants to maintain their health. The air inside homes is drier in the winter season. For retaining the humidity, you can use the humidity trays filled with pebbles and water. As the water evaporates, it leaves humidity around the plant. The bottom of the pots should be above the water level to stop them from being rotten. 

Best plant health care services advise using a humidifier for this purpose. Otherwise, you can keep the plants in the bathroom or kitchen of the house to maintain humidity.

4. Avoid Repotting 

Plants are inactive during winter, so it is not good to repot the plants, and this can shock the dormant or resting house plants, so resist the urge to do so.

Repotting can disturb the growth of the plant and overall health. As in winters, the plants don’t grow much due to less sunlight photosynthesis doesn’t take place.

But if you purchased or received a plant in the winter season, you need to report it. Keep the new plant in warm and more space. Do these work very gently to avoid the roots’ damage due to cold weather? 

5. Pests

As in winters, there is a lack of sunlight, so the chances of spider mites and mealybugs are more as they like dry and warm conditions. Winter pests are more problematic for window plants. If they are prone to the plants, they can spread throughout the house and damage a lot. Always keep the houseplants clean and keep a watch on the pests. Suppose you see any problem, isolate the plant, and start the treatment immediately. Take action as soon as you see any pest because it spreads from plant to plant. If these pests are caught early, they can be treated.

Turn the plant leaves and inspect their undersides every time you water them. Try to wipe the plants with your fingers or any alcohol-soaked cotton balls. Dilute the insecticidal soap or neem oil to get rid of houseplant pests.

Also, make sure to give the sunlight or some artificial light to keep the plants warm and stop the chances of pests in the future from spreading in other plants.

In Conclusion 

Most houseplants rest in the winter season, and they don’t grow or even grow a little during the winter season. They are not producing the new stems or leaves but still don’t require fertilizers in this condition. You can resume giving the fertilizers in spring as the plant receives sunlight and starts photosynthesis again.

Suppose you are going on a vacation, water the plant, and break the low-water rule during those days, even if it’s winter. Give a little more soaking to your plants to keep them healthy.

Best plant health care services take full care of the plants during winters as this affects the growth as well as the health of the plant.