How to Help Your Tropical Plants Survive Winter
You ordered some tropical plants last spring. You’ve done a great job keeping them alive all summer, brought them indoors for fall, but now comes winter. In this article we’ll go over some tips on how to help your tropical plants survive winter. An underlying principle here? Less is more.
Water Less
During winter, most plants will only need watered once a week. Know that they will need much less water than normal as the plants growth rate slows. Make sure to check the soil and monitor your plants moisture levels. You can also pick your plant up, if it feels light then it needs water. Be careful not to overwater to prevent root rot.
During the winter months many homes are much drier than other times of the year due to heaters. It is important to make sure to raise humidity levels during this time. You can do this many ways, in fact we have a whole article about it! If you have multiple plants, one of the easiest ways is to group them together, allowing them to create a microclimate! A humidifier is another easy option.
Likeable Temperatures
Most tropicals are going to want a temperature from 65 to 75F, so if possible try to keep your home within this range (they won’t complain if it’s slightly warmer). Remember you brought them inside to protect from the freezing outdoor temperatures, so give them one they like!
No Fertilizer Necessary
This applies to anyone who is not in a warm climate where plants see growth year-round. If your plants are able to grow, disregard this as you can still fertilize. However, for the rest of us where out plants have likely gone dormant, fertilizer is not needed over winter as it can disrupt the plants natural growth cycle.
Dust Your Plants
Make sure to dust your tropical plants regularly. If your plants gets really dusty, it may not be able to breathe well. This is similar to if a leaf is coated with dirt, there is a barrier that will then slow the photosynthesis process.
Sun. Sun, Sun
Make sure you know your plants light needs and place them by an appropriate window. Remember, there is not as much daylight during the winter, so take that into consideration when looking for a spot.
