As the days get shorter and the weather gets cooler, we turn our homes into cosy havens. But what about our houseplants? Your leafy friends can struggle in the winter months. With less sunlight and drier air from heating, it's important to give our plants a little extra TLC to keep them happy.
Here are 3 simple steps to ensure your houseplants stay happy and healthy all winter long:
1. Lighten Up!
Sunlight is essential for photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert light into energy. During winter, days are shorter, meaning there's naturally less sunlight available. To compensate for this, try to position your plants in the brightest spot in your home, ideally near a bright window. If possible, consider investing in grow lights to supplement natural light.
2. Beat the Dry Heat
Central heating can wreak havoc on houseplants, sucking the moisture out of the air and leaving them dry and crispy. To combat this, increase humidity around your plants. Here are a couple of ways to do this:
- Pebble tray method: Place a tray filled with pebbles on a table and fill the tray with water just below the top of the pebbles. Stand your plant pot on the pebbles, making sure the pot doesn't touch the water. As the water evaporates, it will increase humidity around your plant.
- Grouping plants: Grouping your plants together helps create a mini humid microclimate. As the plants release moisture through transpiration (releasing water vapour through their leaves), they'll help to create a more humid environment for each other.
3. Water Wisely
While it's important to keep your plants from drying out completely, it's also important not to overwater them in winter. The colder weather and reduced sunlight mean that plants don't need watering as frequently. Always check the soil before watering - stick your finger into the soil and if the top inch or so feels dry, then it's time to water.
BONUS TIPS:
- Keep feeding your plants! - Y ou should never use high NPK fertilisers through Winter (yuck, chemicals). However, you can use a bioactive plant food like Grow year round. Even when scaling back your watering, Grow can be used at every drink.
- Clean your leaves! - Not only does removing dust allow your plant to receive more light, but regular leaf cleaning will allow you to get ahead on any pest issues your plant might experience. Try spraying your leaves fortnightly with Protect and giving them a good wipe with our Leaf Cleaning Gloves.
By following these simple steps, you can ensure your houseplants continue to thrive and bring life to your home throughout the winter months.