Winter Plant Care Tips for Your Houseplants

Table of Contents

• #1 Change the Watering Schedule
• #2 Increase Light
• #3 Avoid Extreme Temperature Changes
• #4 Clean the Leaves
• #5 Accept that Leaves Will Fall
• #6 Don’t Use Fertilizer
• #7 Increase Humidity Levels
• #8 Keep an Eye Out for Insects
• #9 Don’t Repot Your Plants
• How to Take Care of Plants in Winter - The Bottom Line

Winter can be a difficult time for houseplants, especially those that thrive in full sun and warmer temperatures, so you need to pay special attention to their care during those few months - especially considering that the possibility of them developing root rot is much higher due to decreased water intake.

Plants just don’t consume water fast enough, and if you keep up the summer watering schedule, that can lead to some serious consequences for your beloved greenery.

Thankfully, introducing a few small changes can help tremendously. Here are some of the best winter indoor plants care tips to help them survive until the temperature starts rising again.

#1 Change the Watering Schedule

We mentioned it briefly, but since your plants do not get as much sunlight as they do during the summer, their water requirements are much lower - they can survive longer without watering as they don’t grow as rapidly. You can use two different watering cans for winter and summer but remember to keep the winter one smaller.

A good rule of thumb is to check the soil using your finger. If the top inch or two are still wet, then you can hold off watering. If they’re dry, however, it’s a sign that you need to water your plant. Remember - it’s always better to use too little water than too much of it, as you can always add more, but undoing the effects of root rot developed as a result of overwatering is much harder.

#2 Increase Light

Since sunlight is limited during winter months, it’s important to ensure that your houseplants will get access to as much of it as possible. If they’re not already there, move them to a windowsill, especially if you notice that they are visibly leaning in that direction. Make sure that the entirety of the plant receives sunlight by rotating them weekly.

If none of what we mentioned seems to be working and you’re frantically looking for an answer to “how to keep indoor plants warm in winter”, or you want to ensure that your plants will be completely fine even if there’s no or very little sunlight outside, you can always invest in a grow light.

#3 Avoid Extreme Temperature Changes

While it’s completely fine to keep your houseplants on the windowsill, avoid opening the windows in their vicinity, as exposure to extreme temperature changes can be damaging to them. Front doors, heating units and radiators are also a no-no.

#4 Clean the Leaves

The need for cleaning your plant’s leaves increases during winter months as a result of closed windows and increased indoor pollution - this can lead to a dust buildup, decreasing the amount of light the plant absorbs (and as we established, light is scarce as it is during winter months). So, make sure to regularly clean the leaves using a damp cloth.

#5 Accept that Leaves Will Fall

Falling leaves are a natural process that happens during winter months, so if you see it happening to your houseplant, don’t worry about it - it’s completely normal, and once spring comes, your plant will start thriving again. In the meantime, you can get rid of some of the older leaves which might not be in the best shape - it will prevent further leaf loss, at least temporarily.

#6 Don’t Use Fertilizer

Most plants either don’t grow at all during winter or they do it very slowly, so using a fertilizer is pointless, as it won’t benefit them in any way. So, once the temperatures start dropping, stop fertilizing until it gets warmer again.

#7 Increase Humidity Levels

Your indoor humidity levels drop during winter, so if you have plants that enjoy higher humidity levels, such as hoyas, which are generally native to tropical regions of Asia and thrive in humidity levels over 60%, then you need to make sure that you keep them up even during unfavorable months.

The easiest way to do it is by using a humidifier. Clustering all of your houseplants together can also help, and if you don’t have a humidifier and don’t want to purchase one for this purpose, you can try moving your plants to rooms that are naturally more humid such as the bathroom.

#8 Keep an Eye Out for Insects

Bugs like aphids, mealy bugs, or spider mites don’t take a break even when it’s cold outside - quite the opposite; indoor conditions such as lower humidity levels, warmer temperatures inside, weakened plant state and reduced airflow make perfect grounds for them to grow and reproduce. It’s important to catch them early on before they start spreading onto other plants - that can be quite a problem.

#9 Don’t Repot Your Plants

With the slowed down growth, it might be tempering to repot your plants so that they’re ready for spring - however, we definitely advise against that, as it can make them go into shock, which in severe cases can have long-term consequences on how well your plant is growing.

How to Take Care of Plants in Winter - The Bottom Line

As winter approaches, it’s important to learn about winter houseplant care to know how to best take care of your household plants so that they can be fully ready to thrive again once spring starts. Generally speaking, it’s not very difficult, provided that you know what to do - and hopefully, after today, how to care for plants in winter won’t be a mystery anymore.