Winter care for Indoor Plants

Winter care for Indoor Plants

Winter care for Indoor Plants

Indoor plants are beautiful and can do wonders for you and your home. If you are reading this, I am sure you must be having some (or more) indoor plants and you are living in a country where it gets really cold. I am located in Sydney; Australia and our winter season starts from early June and lasts till the end of September. Anyways, let us go through some of the care tips, do’s, and don’ts here. The content below worked for me and I hope it does work for you too.

What happens to your plants during winter?

Just like us, most indoor plants also like to stay indoors and sleep. The days are shorter and nights are longer. Since plants need sunlight to photosensitize which is less in winter, they do not work much. Some plants such as Caladiums go into dormancy. If you see the leaves all fall off, do not worry. They will drop their leaves in winter which is common and start growing them again during spring. It is also advisable to not repot your plants in winter as they might struggle to adjust to the new environment in winter.

 

 Indoor plants care Australia

Light and Temperature

From my personal experience, indoor plants like morning sunlight and do well if kept in a bright room with a lot of sunlight. In winters make sure you move the plant closer to the window or a glass door as they can soak up as much sunlight as possible. However, in summers make sure you keep them away as they might burn the leaves. Below is a picture to show you how to place your plants in winter and summer.

 

 

The picture was taken from Google

 Indoor plants in winter

 

If there is not much sunlight coming through into your home, make sure you get some grow lights and place your plants under them. You can find grow lights on eBay or Amazon. The plants must be kept in a warm spot. If some of your plants are outdoors and you see that they are dropping leaves and are looking sad, bring them indoors until the winter passes away.

Watering

Water is an essential need for all plants. However, if you overwater your indoor plant it might get root rot. It is hard for the plant to recover from root rot and the plant might eventually die. It is always important that you do not overwater your plant. In winters, indoor plants do not need so much water. The amount of water and frequency should reduce in order to avoid root rot.

Check the soil before watering to see if it is dry or moist. If it is moist do not water it until it is still dry (some plants excepted). You can also use a soil thermometer to regularly check on your plants. It is available in Bunnings.

 Watering indoor plants

Fertilizing

Since your plants do not grow so much in winter, they do not need a lot of fertilizer. It is important to fertilize your plant during the growing season regularly for the plant to stay healthy. However, if this is done in winter the plant might be affected and not do well. You can fertilize it at the start of winter and again during the start of spring.

 

Leaf loss or no growth is common in winter, so, no need to panic. Plants do go into a state of dormancy. Make sure they get enough sunlight and move them closer to the window. Water them less and fertilize only at the start of winter.

Happy growing!

 

 

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