Don't get bummed out because winter is here. True, you might not be outdoors getting your hands dirty in your backyard garden, but indoor gardening and houseplants can be just as fulfilling. It is, however, indoors and therefore acts a little differently than outdoor gardening. Plus, it's winter, too.
About 30% of all households buy at least one houseplant. You may have one or you may have 31, but caring for plants indoors during the winter has some particular tips that'll help them flourish even though it's snowing outside. Let's explore a few.
Shh, They're Sleeping
They're not literally sleeping, but plants become dormant during the winter. Because of this dormancy, they require less water during the winter and don't need fertilizers. Houseplants commonly die from being overwatered. Their soil needs oxygen as well as water, so be careful not to overwater and inadvertently drown your plants. As a rule, if the top two inches of soil feel dry that's when you should be watering them.
Give Them More Light
Winter days are shorter and less bright than spring, summer, and fall, so you need to accommodate the solar needs of your plants. Keep them in spots where they can get optimum amounts of sunlight. Additionally, you've probably never dusted your plants before, but a layer of indoor dust on them keeps them from soaking in the light. Gently give them a wipe down with clean warm water.
Maintenance
Indoor plants are easier to forget than your backyard garden. Forgetfulness is a grave plant killer. Establish a routine for all of your plants so that you're consistently monitoring and optimizing their growth environment. Change soil, prune them, re-pot them, look for pests, and the like. You know what your indoor plants need and we know that all plants need more than to merely be watered and put in sunlight.
As the days get colder and you bring your gardening indoors, remember that it's a different application of your green thumb. Things that apply outdoors aren't universally applicable indoors. Start with these tips and from the outdoor garden to your indoor plants, everything you have growing will stay healthily thriving.
Please tell us what to do with the amaryllis we purchased from you after blooming. Do we cut them back? keep watering? take out of the soil? Thank you
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