Fall is officially here, which means winter is just around the corner. It’s time to prepare your indoor potted plants to help them thrive throughout the colder winter months.
If you haven’t already, it’s a good idea to bring any indoor potted plants that were outside on your deck or patio, inside your home or office.
Your HortyGirl indoor potted plants are low maintenance, but still require some minimal care during the winter. The best part about keeping your indoor potted plants happy and healthy during the winter means you can enjoy them in the spring again.
Read on to learn how to prepare your indoor potted plants for winter.
Determine the Type of Indoor Potted Plant
First, let’s determine what type of potted plant you have. This will help you determine how much lighting your indoor potted plants will require.
Take a look at our plant care blog, which has a few different types of indoor potted plants from succulents, to cypress trees, to philodendrons, to air plants and much more.
If you cannot find the potted plant type, you can always contact us to help you determine the type.
Give Your Indoor Potted Plants Light During the Winter
Once you’ve determined the type of potted plant, find a place in your living decor where they will receive the amount of required lighting. Some indoor potted plants can survive in low light areas such as the sansevieria plants and some thrive with more light such as philodendrons or aloe vera plants.
Overall, most indoor potted plants require more light in the winter, so it’s best to move plants closer to the light sources. Winter also means shorter days and less daylight hours. Remember to move your plants in places where they can receive as much sunlight as they need and to rotate your plants to ensure each side receives the same amount of light.
Winter Watering Routine For Your Indoor Potted Plants
Keep in mind that winter means less watering for your indoor potted plants. Plants naturally use less water when light levels are lower. It’s best to check the watering requirements for each individual plant type in our plant care blog.
For example, the zebra haworthia plant, during the summer, typically requires water every 3 weeks, and in the winter, requires water every few months instead.
When determining the fall and winter watering routine for your indoor potted plant, check the soil moisture, and only water when the soil is dry. To check the soil moisture, use our simple and affordable way of checking the soil with a bamboo or wood skewer. If your container has drain holes, water just until the water streams out the bottom. If your container does not have drain holes, water lightly until the soil is moist. Do not saturate the soil with water.
Clean Your Indoor Potted Plant Leaves and Check for Bugs
During the fall and winter, dust accumulated on the leaves can cause health issues for your indoor potted plants as there is less light reaching the plants and the air is drier. It’s a good idea to gently wipe the plant leaves with a soft, damp microcloth. Windows in your home or office can also build up with dust, which lets less light in, so remember to wipe those as well.
While wiping your plant leaves, also continue checking for plant pests (bugs) under the leaves or on the stem of the plant. During the fall and winter, plants can also be an ideal environment for bugs so check for bugs the same amount as you did in the summer.
Watch Your Indoor Temperatures For Your Potted Plants
To prepare for winter, create an ideal room temperature for your indoor potted plants to thrive. If your room drops to 10-15 degrees Celsius, best to get a space heater and set it to turn on when temperature drops to keep your plants happy throughout the winter.
If you have heaters set up for your plants, place your potted plants further away from the heaters as the heat may burn the leaves. Some heaters also give off drafts, it’s also a good idea to move your indoor potted plants away from these drafts. Investing in a humidifier and placing it around your plants can also help your plants get through those dry winter days.
Some of your indoor potted plants may be on a windowsill in your home or office in the summer. During the winter, the windowsill is typically one of the coldest spots during the night. Right now, during the fall, start moving plants further away from the window glass.
Finishing Up
In the next few weeks, take a look at your plant and read our plant care blog or contact us to determine the type of indoor potted plant. Next, start prepping your office or home room temperature and find a spot in your living decor with the appropriate amount of lighting for your potted plant type. Following these care tips can keep your plants happy and healthy all winter long so that you can enjoy them again next spring and into summer.