Caring for our houseplants over the winter months can be a challenge, but here are a few quick tips to change up your indoor nurturing routine:
Clean off those leaves! Houseplants can be dust magnets, especially during heating season. That’s right – I’m looking at you, Peace Lily! If you only have a few plants, you can easily wipe the leaves off with a soft, moist cloth; but for those of you with many houseplants, I suggest placing them in a bathtub, sink or shower and gently hosing them down. Your plants will thank you for all that moisture by looking super perky again!
After you’ve cleaned up that foliage, give them lots of light. Just like us, plants crave sunlight in the winter! This may seem obvious but we have to remember that winter sunlight is weak and fleeting, and a simple change to a brighter location can really make a difference in your plants’ health. To help them out, place your plants where they can enjoy the maximum amount of light from a window or add a few grow lights to your table lamps and congregate plants in their glow.
Upgrade your watering routine! I water my houseplants more frequently in the winter months, every 4 to 5 days. When in doubt, pick up the pot – if it feels heavy, the plant still has plenty of moisture and you can hold off watering for another couple of days. As a general rule, the colder the weather outside, the drier the atmosphere inside. To combat the desert-like air in your home, humidify rooms if possible and give plants regular, generous waterings to keep them hydrated.
Give them a snack! Although I stop fertilizing in November and December to give my houseplants a rest, by late January I usually see signs of new growth which signal to me that my plants are ready to be fed again. Go ahead and start feeding them with an all-purpose fertilizer made for indoor plants.
If you follow these tips, I’m confident your houseplants will look happy and healthy as they patiently await the return of Spring!