Winter is arguably the most cherished season. Calm surroundings, festivals that bring celebrations and the vacations that you can take on your bucket list destinations, winters are indeed a great season to explore. Winters also mean additional care, be it for your body, your pets & even for your plants. While you enjoy the most out of this season, here we are summarising a few tips that can help you take care of your houseplants during winter. Follow these simple tricks & your plants will grow really well, even in winters.
Understanding the basics of winters
Before we jump right into plant care tips, here are a few basics about winters and plants.
Dormancy
Most plants are in the dormancy stage in the winter. Hence, when the days get shorter and the exposure to sunlight reduces, the growth of plants automatically comes down. It is a normal phenomenon, and you don’t need to get stressed unnecessarily if you observe any decline in the growth of your houseplants.
Climatic conditions
The intensity of winters varies according to each zone. There are 15 different agroclimatic zones in India. However, to put it simply, we can narrow down this conversation based on the temperature conditions. By now you must be aware of the temperature scenario at your location. So based on the intensity of winter at your place, you can implement and follow these tips. The care tips for outdoor winter plants will be different from that of indoor plants.
Let’s see the common winter plant care tips now.
Overwatering is not needed
As we have discussed earlier, most plants are in the state of dormancy & will require very less water during winter. The rate of water evaporation from soil & leaves of houseplants is lesser. Hence, you can follow the basic rule, that no watering plant until the soil layer is completely dry. The overwatering of your houseplants can even lead your plants to die.
Read: For people who want to build a water garden, but can’t get started
Move your succulents so that they get maximum sunlight
As winters approach, moving your plants to spaces with higher sunlight is really important. Most succulents in your house can be moved from darker corners to places with higher sunlight or bright light. Sturdy plants won’t get affected however for delicate plants it’s really important that they get enough sunlight.
Hoeing helps your plants breath
When the top layer of soil is moved with small tools, it creates space for aeration near the plant roots. This helps your houseplants to breathe & ensures that they keep functioning normally. This process also makes it easier for your plants to absorb the water and nutrients. Remember to hoe your plants every alternate week.
Beat the fungus attack with neem oil
Fungus attacks can be a common problem during the winters. However, if you do not overwater your plants, and keep the soil aerated, the risk decreases. Secondly, you can spray neem water solution on your plants every alternate week. This prevents your plants from catching fungal infections.
Groom your plants, but with care
During winters, many plants react to weather change in different ways. Some plant leaves turn yellow and fall off and it is completely natural. So don’t panic
If you see any of these changes in your houseplants. Secondly, if you are grooming your plants, then always remember you can only do soft pruning and not hard pruning. Soft pruning means you cut only the lower branches of your plants and not the upper ones. Remember, since your plants can be in a dormant state, it is important to retain the presence of green leaves until your plants get back to normal.
No repotting during winters
Repotting is the process of transferring a plant from one pot to another. It is done to provide adequate space for the growing plant roots. However, the rainy season is more adequate for repotting your plants. Plants go through shock during the process of repotting & surviving such shocks can be very difficult for plants during their dormancy time. If you are planning to move your plants to designer planters, it’s better to wait for the dormancy period of plants to get over.
Also read: 10 plants that grow in the dark
Seasonal Flowers love more sunlight
Winter is a time when many flowering plants blossom. Witnessing these flowering plants is a great sight and it’s really pleasant. If you have got indoor flowering plants in your house, do remember to move them to spaces with brighter sunlight. This simple change can ensure that your plants are flowering. However, if your designer planters are delicate, make sure that you handle them with extra care.
A few things for outdoor plants
Outdoor plants that have acclimatized to your surroundings really well can face winters very easily. However, if there are any non-native plants that you have hosted in planters, you can consider moving them to warmer spaces. These spaces shall ideally protect your plants from chilled winds. This temporary arrangement can help your plants to survive the winter stress and you can bring them back to their original spaces once the winter gets over. Outdoor winter plants don’t need this additional care and they can survive harsh winters relatively better than non-native plants.
No additional fertilizers for your plants
You may not see any visible growth of your plants during winters. It is natural & there are no additional efforts to induce the forced growth on your plants. You can consider giving liquid fertilizers, but that in a controlled manner. Think of winters as the time when you give your plants their own space without disturbing them much. So, remember no additional fertilizers to your plants in winter.
We hope you find these tips on winter care for plants useful. If you like this article & would love to know more such interesting content related to plant care, gardening, design etc. please feel free to revisit us in the future. Follow us on our social media handles and never miss any updates from us.
We at Bonasila are best known for paving the way for plants to be included in the design process with the help of designer planters. You can check out our collection of home planters online by visiting our website. Do let us know your thoughts about this article by joining us in the comment section.