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Are your Plants ready for Winter?

Updated: May 2, 2023



As the temperatures get lower and the day light hours shorter just check that you and your plants are ready for the days ahead.


Retain humidity

The biggest threat to the wellbeing of many plants in winter is not the lower temperatures but the affect that heating our homes has on air humidity. Our indoor plants tend to come from places with high levels of humidty and some, like #alocasias are very sensitive to dry air and will develop brown leaf edges as a result. Grouping your plants together will help as will moving more sensitive ones to areas in the house, such as kitchens or bathrooms, which are more humid or invest in a humidifier.


Avoid temperature extremes

Most of the plants we keep indoors will suffer if exposed to temperatures below about 10C for a long period of time. Others, particularly desert plants, are more tolerant but no #indoorplant will survives exposure to freezing air. This means never leaving them behind a closed curtain as well as keeping them away from cold spots or drafts. It also means keeping them away from sources of heat, such as fires or cookers, which will expose them to very high temperatures for short periods of time.


Less water and no food

Sounds a bit cruel but our plants need very little from us in winter. The basic engine for plant growth is sunshine and as temperatures drop your plants go into a state of semi-dormancy until things warm up again. They do less photosynthesis and so need watering much less frequently and no food at all. Start up your feeding again when you see signs of new growth in the spring.


Let the sunshine in

During the winter not only are the hours of daylight much less the intensity of the sunshine is also weaker. Make sure that you get the most of the light that is available by bringing more plants into the areas where there is more direct light. Even noon day light will lack the intensity to scorch in winter. You might also choose to supplement your light in the darkest areas. Lots of plants thrive under artificial light and grow lights are now avaiablle which are, to the naked eye, impossible to distinguish from an ordinary light.


Look out for signs of spring

Seems a long way off now but before you know it Spring will be on us. From midwinter's day, the 2st of December, the days start getting longer again and as temperatures begin to rise again your plants will come back into growth. Then they will need your care and it is the anticipating which gets us through.









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