This week, a few recommendations on how to care for houseplants coming in for the winter.
- Find your sunniest windows. Houseplants that have had excellent light outside under your patio all summer and fall long won’t appreciate being placed wherever you can find a spot in a corner. Find a good window without UV solar tinting and give your plants what they need to do well. If no such window exists, either buy an inexpensive plant light – the types that put out that weirdly pink-purple light are quite energy efficient – and keep your plants happier. If that’s impractical too, try to wheel your plants back outside during warmer spells this winter to give them that light when you can.
- Give the fertilizer a break. Short winter days won’t stimulate growth, and so there’s no need to waste your time. Start up once a month water soluble fertilizer in March.
- Don’t keep your plants in standing water. Tip out excess water from plant saucers after the plant’s had plenty of time to absorb moisture on the days you do water, or water the plants in the sink or bathtub and let them drain out freely before putting them back in place.
- Orange oil can reduce your fellow-travelers coming in for winter. It’s perfectly normal for insects in live in the soil of your containers! But none of us necessarily want them in the house come winter, so dunking the root balls of your plants in a mild orange oil solution before bringing the plants inside will cut dramatically down on uninvited houseguests.
- Cure or cull infested plants before bringing them inside! If one or more of your houseplants has been visited by mealybugs, aphids, or other bothersome insect outside, please make sure the problem is entirely fixed before bringing the plants in or toss the odd plant that refuses to get clean of the pests. One plant loaded with mealybugs cuddled up to other houseplants all winter long will end up causing trouble for the others!