Bring the Outdoors In: Keep Plants Thriving Through the Winter

As a homeowner in Georgia, your attention moves from outside lawn and garden maintenance to caring for your houseplants in the winter. As a local landscaper, we understand how our unique climate affects our greenery.

Many homeowners like to bring their outdoor plants inside during the winter months, and that can be a rewarding way to continue gardening when the temperatures fall. However, not all outdoor plants can be moved indoors and survive. Plants such as ferns, succulents, and certain flowering plants like begonias or geraniums can adapt to indoor conditions. Your landscaper can identify plants that can be brought indoors and cared for to make it through the winter without damage.

This post is designed to help you navigate the colder months, ensuring your houseplants not only survive, but thrive. Whether you have established plants or are new to the game, these tips will keep your indoor garden lush and vibrant.

A Time for Rest and Adjustment

During winter, plants enter a dormant phase, slowing down their growth. This natural cycle means your care routine needs to adapt to their changing needs. Let's make sure your plants get exactly what they need during these cooler months.

Maximize Natural Light 

As days get shorter, your plants crave every bit of sunlight. Place them near south-facing windows to soak up those precious rays. If you don’t have a lot of natural light, you may want to consider getting a grow light.

Rotate Regularly

This simple act prevents your plants from leaning towards the light, keeping them balanced and healthy.

Reduce Watering Frequency

With slower growth, your plants won't need as much water. Overdoing it can harm them, so let's find the right balance.

Check Before You Water

This small step ensures you're not overwatering, keeping your plants' roots happy and healthy. For larger containers, if the top inch of the soil is dry it’s time for some water. If there’s any moisture in the soil, recheck it in a couple of days.

Avoid Chilly Shock

Sudden temperature changes can stress plants. If you’re moving your outdoor plants indoors, do it before the outdoor temperature drops because you don’t want to shock the plant. The ideal temperature for most houseplants is:

• Daytime - 65°F to 75°F (18°C to 24°C)

• Nighttime - 60°F to 65°F (15°C to 18°C)

Humidity Helps

Georgia's indoor air can get quite dry in the winter. Your plants need some moisture in the air. Here are 5 methods to create a more humid environment indoors:

1. Misting - Regularly misting plants with water can increase the humidity around them.  

2. Group Plants Together – Grouping houseplants creates a microclimate with higher humidity, as they release moisture into the air through a process called transpiration.

3. Pebble Trays – Please a layer of pebbles in a tray and fill it with water, ensuring the water level is just below the top of the pebbles. Place the posts on the pebbles and as the water evaporates, it increases the humidity around the plants.

4. Place Plants in Humid Rooms – The bathroom and kitchen tend to be more humid than other parts of your house. These rooms usually receive a lot of sun, so the environment is a great place for houseplants.

5. Humidifier – Using a humidifier near the plants periodically is a great way to maintain a humid environment.

Scaling Back Feeding to Promote Health

In winter, your plants are conserving energy. This means they need less food than during the warmer growing season months. Understanding how to adjust your fertilizing routine can make a big difference in their health.

Ease Up on Fertilizer

In the winter months plants go into a dormant phase. Since they aren’t actively growing during this phase, plants don’t need as many nutrients as they do during the growing season. Over-fertilizing in the winter can have damaging effects on your plants. Too much fertilizer on a plant that is not actively growing can damage its roots and leaves because if not all the nutrients are absorbed, there is excess salt in the soil. The damaged roots may not absorb water and the process may actually be reversed where the plant loses water back into the soil leading to dehydration.

Common Winter Household Plant Problems

During winter you will be faced with different challenges when it comes to keeping your houseplants healthy. The fluctuations in cooler temperatures and the lack of humidity in the air mean that you will need to adjust your care for your plants. Here are some common challenges you might encounter in the winter months:

Yellowing Leaves

How to Identify: Yellowing leaves often indicate a nutrition deficiency or overwatering. Look for leaves that are turning yellow uniformly, especially older leaves first.

How to Fix: Adjust your watering schedule to ensure the soil is moist but not soggy. Check for proper drainage and consider adding nutrients with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer. Also, ensure your plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can contribute to yellowing.

Droopy Leaves

How to Identify: Droopy leaves can be a sign of under-watering, overwatering, or even temperature stress. Check if the leaves are limp and lifeless and inspect the soil moisture.

How to Fix: If underwatering is the issue, establish a regular watering routine. For over-watering, let the soil dry out before watering again and ensure good drainage. If temperature stress is a factor, move the plant to a more suitable environment, avoiding direct hot sunlight or cold drafts.

Detection and Control of Plant Pests

How to Spot Pests: Regularly inspect your plants for signs of pests, such as small holes in leaves, sticky residue, or the pests themselves like aphids or spider mites.

How to Deal with Them: For minor infestations, a solution of mild soap and water can be effective. For more severe cases, consider using organic insecticidal soaps or neem oil. Ensure to isolate infected plants to prevent spreading and regularly clean the plant area to keep pests at bay.

Final Tips

Household plants are great to keep your green thumb green in the winter. Just remember that not only are environmental conditions different in the winter, but your plants are also going through changes. Keeping an eye on where they are located in your house, and how much fertilizer and water they are getting will help your plants thrive in the winter and be ready for your spring garden.