Indoor plants are a little piece of nature that you bring into your home. When it gets colder outside and the leaves change colour, it's a sign that you need to take better care of your plants inside as well. It's therefore important to give your indoor plants some extra care and attention in the winter. Most indoor plants originate from tropical climates and therefore don't like the cold. With the right care, your plants will get through the winter well. In the spring, they’ll thank you with growth and, in some cases, with flowers. Here are a few tips to help protect your plants during the winter.
1. Water them less
During the winter, plants are in a dormant state. This means that during these months, indoor plants grow less or not at all and need less nutrition. It’s not necessary to give them plant food again until spring. In addition, water them less often than you would in the summer. Carefully check the plant label to see how often you have to water your plant. One plant may need watering once a week, while another may need watering once every 3 weeks. You can also easily check by sticking a finger in the soil. Does a little bit of soil stick to your finger? Then the plant has enough water.
Good to know: as soon as you receive your plant, it's important to check the humidity of the soil. In the beginning, you can water it more often to give the plant a boost. However, you should then reduce the amount of water because a plant can ‘drown’ if it receives too much water. Always ensure that there is no water left pooling in the pot.
Please note: there are plants that need no or very little water. Think, for example, of cacti and succulents.
2. Put the plant in a light place
Indoor plants are mostly tropical plants. They are used to receiving a lot of sunlight. During the dark winter days, they get less light. Try to place the plants close to a window, so that they get as much light as possible. Remember to turn your plant every so often. The plant grows towards the light.
3. Warmth is good, but heating less so
Besides plenty of sunlight, tropical plants like warmer temperatures. Indoor plants prefer to be kept in a room with temperatures between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius. Avoid too many temperature changes in the room. Your plants don't like standing in a draught. Certainly not when it’s cold outside. We also recommend avoiding placement near radiators as much as possible. These tend to dry out the air in the room, while indoor plants prefer moist air. If you do choose a spot close to a radiator, give your houseplant a good spray once in a while on and under the leaves. It also helps to place a bowl of water close to the plants.
4. Give sensitive plants extra attention
One plant is not like another and this is often reflected in the strength of the plant. There are also indoor plants that are more sensitive to the cold. Flowering indoor plants, such as the orchid, and indoor plants with delicate leaves, such as
the banana plant, don't like the cold at all. If you have these plants in your home, give them a little more attention. You'll notice the difference in spring!
