This summer was your houseplants biggest growth period yet! New leaves were being added at an incredible rate and they were getting longer as they were stretching out towards the window. They need to be prepared for the cold temperatures and shorter days of winter. They will need winter care to survive the season. The good news is that when spring arrives they will be ready to grow again!
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Check PriceThe issue is that many plant owners overlook these important signals, and will continue to look after their plants in the same way during summer care routines until their plants begin to show signs of stress. At this point you have to contend with the challenges of dormancy, low light levels and dry air throughout the home.
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Here are 9 autumn practices that will distinguish successful overwintering houseplants from those that will go to the compost in the spring.
1. Reduce Your Watering Schedule (But Not How You Think)
The greatest winter killer of plants is not the cold; it is being over watered. With the dramatic slowdown of growth during the winter months, plants require significantly less water compared to the summer months, around 50 to 75 percent less. However, here is where most guides get it wrong: you don’t just water less frequently; you need to water in a different way.
To check moisture in the soil, stick your finger two inches into the soil. If your finger comes out moist, wait to water the plant. When you water again, do one thorough watering such that water starts to flow out from the holes at the bottom. After 30 minutes, empty the saucer. This will help to prevent soil from becoming too wet or soggy, which can cause root rot in dormant plants.
2. Non fertilizzare fino alla primavera.
Planting during dormancy is like trying to feed a sleeping person. This is because the plant is trying to survive the cold, winter season and so stops growing. If a fertilizer is added to the plant, it will cause the plant to produce weak and spindly growth, which is far more likely to get sick and be attacked by pests.
Store all of your fertilizers until your plants show new growth in late February or March. Your plants will show better, healthier, and stronger growth when they are ready to receive nutrients.
3. Clean Every Single Leaf (Here's How to Do It Right)
Leaves covered in dust will not be able to reach maximum efficiency when it comes to photosynthesis, and since winter = less light, every single bit of photosynthesis is critical. However, aggressive leaf scrubbing can damage leaf surfaces and can even lead to the transference of problems between plants.
Use a damp microfiber cloth and gentle strokes to clean large and smooth leaves. For fuzzy leaves such as African violets, use a soft paintbrush to dust them. Give gentle showers to plants with several small leaves using lukewarm water and allow them to fully drain prior to placing them back in their original spots.
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4. Begin the Weekly Rotation Ritual
Plants will lean dramatically towards the window if you don't intervene and consider the weaker angling winter light coming through. This causes uneven growth which results in unstable plants that fall over and develop bare patches.
Every time you water the plants (approximately once a week), rotate the pots a quarter turn. To remember how you last rotated it, put tape or a permanent marker on the pot. Your plants will have even and compact growth all throughout winter.
5. Become a Pest Detective
The combination of dry air in your home and over stressed plants, makes for the perfect pest paradise. When plants are stressed, they are unable to defend themselves from rapid populations of spider mites, aphids, and scale insects. The most important thing is to catch infestations before they grow out of hand.
While you are cleaning leaves each week, examine the left webbing, honeydew that is sticky , or small moving specks. Look at the tips of the new growth and the undersides of the leaves because this is where pests like to hide. If you suspect that a plant has a pest, quarantine it right away and use insecticidal soap before the problem spreads.
6. Prune Strategically Rather than Drastically
It's easy to misconstrue fall pruning as a method for reshaping, when in reality it is more about removing energy drains so that your plant can focus on survival. Look to remove yellowing leaves, dead stems, and growth that is damaged obvious growth.
Use clean scissors to remove yellow leaves at the base of the stem. Dead stems should be cut back to healthy growth or all the way down to the soil line. Avoid heavy pruning of healthy growth, as this tends to stress plants during periods of topping.
7. Bring Plants Nearer to Sources of Light
That location which had great morning light in July could very well be a dark hole by November. With the sun's position being lower in the sky, even windows that face south, offer a drastic reduction in light.
Without touching the cold glass, move your plants closer to the windows. Put all plants needing a lot of light next to your best windows. If your tropical plants were stretching or growing pale last winter, you may want to get a grow light.
8. Construct Humidity Islands Across Your House
Most houseplants thrive in humidity levels of 40-60% and forced-air heating systems can drop indoor humidity levels to below 10%. Instead of pricey humidifiers, consider making localized humidity zones around your plants.
Put some pebbles and water in shallow trays and place pots on the trays without touching the water. Position the plants in a group so they can share the moisture they transpire. Bowls of water can be placed by heating vents to add moisture to the air as it circulates.
9. Protecting plants from fluctuating temperatures.
As opposed to exact numbers, consistent temperatures are what really matter. Extreme changes in temperature caused by heating systems or drafty windows and doors can be more stressful to plants than a steady cool temperature.
Keep your plants away from heating vents, windows that open and close, and doors that open and close. Use a minimum and maximum thermometer to figure out the tough spots in your house. Most house plants do well at a stable temperature of 60 to 75 degrees but do not like sudden changes of 20 degrees.
The nine tips mentioned create a calm and stable environment for your plants that helps them to survive winter. They will need some help come spring when growth hormones are released. Your plants should be strong and ready for growth. You will not have to baby your plants that are limp and barely getting by.
Your plants will thank you for the additional effort that you will be putting into them by being healthier, having less pest problems, and growing more when the growing season comes around again. Plus, after a few weeks you will develop these habits into second nature.
