Giving Good Winter Care to Your Houseplants
If you grow plants indoors, more than likely they are a variety of houseplants, and houseplant need good care just as those grown outdoors.
Most houseplants need less sunlight than those grown outdoors but they do need sunlight. If your home is not particularly sunny an artificial light sometimes referred to as a “grow light” will provide the needed extra light.
Due to some conditions of your house some plants will grow slower than others and some will even go dormant during late fall and early winter.
The temperature for indoor plants should be on average 75 degrees during the daylight hours and 60 to 65 degrees at night. This temperature range will vary but this is the most common.
Indoor plants don’t like drafts and placing them in a sunny window is not always a good spot for them, if you do place them there rotate them every day or so that all sides receive sunlight. Plants experience different temperature changes when you have them in a window; they get sun by day but suffer the cold from the window at night.
During the winter most homes tend to be drier than normal and many plants aren’t tolerant to the extra dryness. With the exception of the “African Violet” most plants can take a good misting on the driest days of winter, otherwise use a damp cloth or sponge to wipe their leaves every week or two; this is also an easy way to remove dust build up on them.
Use a potting soil that is specifically for houseplants, it will generally be well draining, correctly blended and balanced with the right amount of nutrients and acid Ph levels. Since potting soil looses minerals over a period of time, re-potting or replacing the top layer of soil every few years is a good idea.
Because they grow slower, indoor plants need less fertilization, so when you fertilize use a balanced slow released fertilizer for indoor plants and then only fertilize every two or three weeks.
Learn something about your houseplants before you purchase them, the small plant stakes stuck inside the pot is a good source for the information, it will tell you how and when to water and what and how much to feed in most cases.
Most plants love a good soaking, so apply water to the plant to the point that it drains out of the bottom openings, this will also get rid of any excess fertilizer.
Let the soil become almost dry before watering again. If at all possible use distilled water to water your plants with; many people don’t realize that regular tap water sometimes contains excess salt and chlorine. If you must use tap water let the water set out for a few days and the extra chlorine will dissipate, and then generously water plants.
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