In The Winter, How Often Do You Water Your Houseplants?

Winter is known as the quiet season in the garden, and houseplants need less water than other seasons. To avoid overwatering, it is important to gauge the soil moisture level before watering and adjust the frequency accordingly.

Watering requirements vary depending on the plant type, but generally twice a month or less will be enough. Cacti and succulents may need no watering at all until spring. Watering indoor plants during winter is crucial as they go through a dormant period, taking a well-earned rest after a cold winter.

Watering needs vary depending on the plant, but generally, plants require less water in winter. Dormant plants need very little water, and for most house plants, reduce watering to once every fortnight. For succulents, water only every two to three weeks, and for cacti, stop watering entirely.

Water houseplants if the soil is dry at least 2 inches deep. When the plant gets dry, ensure it is well watered. It is common for a plant that needed watering once a day while outside in July and August to only require watering once a week or less in the house during winter.

To adjust watering frequency, push your finger into the soil to determine if it is dry an inch or two below the surface. Plants need less water in winter, and some thirsty plants may drop their demands down to every 2 to 3 weeks or less over winter. Stick with only watering when the top two inches of soil feel dry, and if it’s dry, water the plant thoroughly. If it’s moist, wait a couple more days and check the soil again.

How often should you mist indoor plants?

Houseplants can be misted once a week or more during colder seasons when humidity levels are lower. However, it’s important to scale back if you notice signs of disease, such as leaf spot, discolored leaves, or wilting of new growth. Air plants, epiphytic plants with exposed roots, tropical houseplants, and plants that love high-humidity also benefit from misting. Some cacti and succulents from arid areas don’t require misting, but it won’t harm them unless misting is frequent, especially in a room with good airflow. It’s also important to avoid misting plants with fuzzy leaves, like African violets, which can cause spotting.

Do indoor plants go dormant in the winter?

Plants often experience periods of dormancy during the winter, which is essential for their survival. Symptoms of dormancy include wilting, dropping leaves, and appearing dead. However, some plants may not produce new growth during this period. Dormancy can be triggered by seasonal changes or environmental stress. Colder weather signals plants to go into dormancy before winter arrives, while environmental stress like lack of water, cold temperatures, or nutrients can also cause plants to conserve energy for future growth. Understanding whether plants are dormant or dying can be challenging due to similar symptoms.

How much light do plants need in winter?

To maintain active growth in indoor plants, consider adding grow lights, such as fluorescents and LEDs, which can be placed as close as 6-8 inches from your plants. However, it’s important to note that plants require specific parts of the light spectrum for growth, and most household light bulbs don’t provide this. To compensate, increase the quantity of grow lights and keep them on for 15-18 hours per day.

Some gardeners may bring their favorite summer annuals indoors to overwinter, but this is not always possible. Indoor growing conditions are darker and less humid, leading to leggy plants with smaller leaves and less vibrant coloring. Shade annuals, like coleus and begonias, will thrive in indoor conditions, but with most outdoor plants, you need to adjust your expectations. Focus on helping them survive winter indoors, then cut back indoor growth in spring and move them outdoors, where they want to be.

Do plants prefer misting or watering?

Plants naturally absorb humidity from the atmosphere, resulting in the formation of dew droplets that enhance leaf freshness and facilitate the removal of dust particles. The application of moisture to the foliage of plants on a periodic basis, ranging from one to two instances per week, has been observed to enhance the vitality and promote the optimal growth of the plants in question. However, it is crucial to ensure that misting does not constitute the sole source of water for the plants, as this can also have an impact on their overall health.

Do indoor plants need light in the winter?

Grow lamps can be a valuable tool for maintaining plant health and promoting blooming. They provide full-spectrum or blue and red wavelengths, allowing plants to thrive beyond simple maintenance light. Regular incandescent, halogen, and fluorescent light bulbs can provide enough light for blue and red wavelengths, but LED and fluorescent grow lights are the best choice. For starter plants and seedlings, place the lamps 2-4 inches away, while for well-established plants, place them 1-2 feet away. For those who want a pop of color, buy specially labelled bulbs and set up your own grow light station.

What plants should you not mist?

Misting is not suitable for all houseplants, including cacti, succulents, fiddle leaf figs, and fuzzy-leaved plants like African violets and piggyback plants. These plants prefer dry environments, so watering them is not recommended. To increase humidity, place them in a shallow tray with pebbles and pour water to the bottom. Regularly replenish the water, but ensure it doesn’t rise above the pebbles to prevent root rot.

Misting indoor plants at least once a week, especially during dry winter months, helps create good humidity. Some plants can be misted three times a week. However, misting may not always be beneficial due to the risk of water evaporating in dry weather, so it only temporarily improves indoor plant humidity.

How often should I water indoor plants?

Watering houseplants is a crucial task, but it can be a challenge due to over-watering or dehydration. Typically, houseplants need to be watered once or twice a week in spring and summer, but less in autumn and winter. However, some houseplants require special care, such as orchids, cacti and succulents, and citrus plants. Orchids should only be watered once a week with a small amount, cacti and succulents should be watered when the potting mix has dried out, and citrus plants should be watered frequently.

What happens to indoor plants in winter?

Houseplants tend to go “dormant” in the fall and winter months, requiring less light and less growth, resulting in less water and fertilizer needed. To prevent root rot, fungus, and mold, water plants only when the soil is dry an inch or two below the surface. In winter, warm water is better as it helps plants grow faster and larger while keeping them warm. Most houseplant owners use a “once per week” schedule for watering, but reduce the amount by 25-50 on weekly watering days.

To increase humidity levels, keep your humidifier running if you have one. If you don’t have one, cluster your plants together in the most humid rooms of your home, such as the bathrooms or kitchen, or place them on a large tray or baking sheet filled with water. Place stones in the water to prevent the pots from touching the water.

In summary, reducing watering, increasing humidity, and maintaining a consistent home environment are essential for healthy houseplants.

Can plants get too much LED light?

Placement of LED grow lights too close to plants can lead to light burn, wasted energy, and light stress, reducing plant growth and preventing healthy flowering. Overexposure to LED lights can cause discoloration in leaves or stems over time. Plants require sufficient hours of light for optimal health and development, so the intensity of light matters. A distance of at least a foot between lights and plants is recommended. Placing lights closer than this could result in poor results without providing enough benefit to compensate for additional costs.

It is best to err on the side of caution and never place lights directly above plants unless the correct distance has been established. This ensures proper lighting benefits for plants and avoids costly mistakes caused by improper placement.

Can plants recover from cold shock?

Cold shock occurs when temperatures drop below freezing, causing the water inside leaves to freeze and expand, rupturing the cell wall. This is permanent damage, but it doesn’t necessarily mean the plant will die. If the damage is isolated to a portion of the plant, it can be revived and recovered. There are four signs of cold shock:

1. Leaves wilt or curl, losing rigidity and losing their rigidity.
2. Leaves become discolored, with white or yellow spots or red spots.
3. Foliage or the entire plant becomes mushy and black, indicating an unsalvageable plant.
4. The root ball becomes loose, indicating frozen and damaged roots. Damage to the roots is also a sign that the plant is in dire shape and likely will not survive. The focus is on minimizing the damage and ensuring the plant’s survival.

How cold is too cold for most houseplants?

When nighttime temperatures drop to around 50°F, it’s time to bring plants indoors as most houseplants are native to tropical areas and cannot tolerate freezing temperatures. Most indoor plants will suffer damage when temperatures drop to the mid to lower 40s°F, and nearly all will die if exposed to below freezing temperatures. Before bringing plants indoors, check for insects and rinse off foliage while still outside. Once inside, keep plants isolated from other plants for 3 to 4 weeks.

Common indoor plant pests like scale, mealybug, aphids, whitefly, ants, or cockroaches will be evident after a month or so indoors. Inspect and address any issues as soon as they are noticed to prevent infestations on other plants. Place plants back inside in bright, indirect light, as even the brightest indoor locations are a fraction of the light intensity of conditions in a shade or part-shade location outside.