Midwinter can be a tough time for us avid gardeners, there isn’t much to do in the garden and the seed catalogs are just starting to come in to inspire our Spring dreams of vegetable gardens and new planting beds, so what’s a green thumb to do this time of year?

Give those houseplants some love and attention!           

Watering in the winter: The amount of water needed in the winter will depend on how high the humidity is in your house and how warm you keep your indoor temperatures. Since most all your plants are usually near windows the relative humidity and temperature may be less then in the middle of the room so a good rule of thumb is too water less frequently but to monitor the soil moistness so you can establish a good watering schedule. The best way to do this is to stick your finger into the soil and if it is very dry over an inch down it is time to water.

Succulents and Cactus need to be watered even less in the winter and since their medium is usually more of a mix of small gravel and perlite than soil it can be harder to use the finger test so use the look at feel of their leaves to determine when they need water.  The plumpness of a succulent or cactus is caused by Tuger pressure in the cells of the plant and if the plant needs water the leaves will be less plump and look a little soft and wrinkled - when they start to look like that then it is time to water.

Humidity: Proper Humidity levels are essential and is the key to keeping houseplants happy and with our heaters going in the winter indoor humidity can be a problem. Misting your plants as much as every other day if it is very dry in your house can be very helpful to your plants overall health and vigor and can even add the little extra humidity we humans need to keep our nasal passages from getting too dry and irritated in the winter. Another way to increase humidity is to place your plants on a humidity tray which is basically a saucer filled with gravel or decorative stones that you fill with water.  The evaporation from the tray or saucer will provide extra humidity to the air around the plants and the home in general.  Having one of those outdoor/indoor weather stations can be very helpful in determining the general humidityof your home as it will give you a reading of both the indoor and outdoor temperatures and humidity levels. Around 50% humidity is the best for inside your house not just for your plants but for you and your pets too. High humidity levels can cause molds and mildew to form and also create diseases in your houseplants which can then aggravate mildew growth and your nasal passages, so getting a good reading and adjusting accordingly can be a great enhancer to all the living things in your home.

Light:  In general East and West facing windows are best for houseplants. Most all house plants want bright but not direct light – if you seen sunburn marks on your leaves adjust the plant so it is not in the direct sunlight. Succulents, Cactus and plants with tropical origins need as much as 12 hours of daylight, which can be difficult to come by in our dark PNW winters, so add a supplemental light source on a timer for these plants. Full spectrum bulbs that mimic the spectrum of the sun’s light can be easily purchased and may even help your own moods feel better in the middle of winter.  Besides a nice, easy to look at light, shining down on all your healthy green plants is enough to make anyone feel a little better in January!

Fertilizer: It is best to forgo the fertilizer in the winter months as even your houseplants have a light “dormancy” period that is healthy for them to go through in the winter. As the temperatures warm up come Spring and you maybe start to open a window or two your houseplants will come out of their dormancy and this is a great time to fertilize. A water soluble fertilizer mixed at 1/4th strength is a good choice and can be used each time you water.

Pests: Check your plants often for signs of pests as dealing with a possible infestation right away is the best way to manage an outbreak. Wiping off foliage with a damp cloth both removes dust and can increase humidity. The most common indoor house plant pests are white fly, aphids and spider mites. If you find them immediatly wipe the leaves witha wet cloth and spray with Neemoil or another organic pest control.  Using a drop cloth under the plant you spray will help keep the floor or furniture from getting the spray on it.

Indoor Plant trouble signs to watch for and their causes:

1. Sudden defoliation: Happens with too drastic a change in environment. Example; plants that get a draft from a door opening to the outside regularly or that are too near a heat source.
2. Lower leaves turn yellow and drop: Over watering.
3. Bleached spots on leaves: sunburn – too much light or artificial lights are too close.
4. Lanky new growth: Not enough light and/or too much fertilizing.
5. Does not flower if supposed to: Not enough light.
6. Leaf tips brown: Too cold, not enough humidity, lack of proper watering. (watering too much and then too little)
7. Wilt: Can be either too much water and the roots are rotting or not enough water…..you will know which by your watering habits.
8. Leaf margins brown: Over fertilizing and/or too low humidity.

Quick cures for sad plants: If your doing everything right and your plant still seems sad then try top dressing the soil with 1-2 inches of humus which will provide needed nutrients, help with moisture retention and boost overall health.  Use a bagged material from your local garden store so as not to import any diseases or pests…..DONT use the compost for your out door garden or any other out door soil.

Transplanting: If all else fails and your plant has been in the same pot for years it may be time to re pot. This can and actually should be done indoors so as not to shock your plant witha drastic temperature change. L:aying down a big drop cloth will make for an easy clean up…..it’s also a nice project for relieving that winter garden fever!

1. Use a sharp tool to loosen the soil around the edges of the pot.
2. Gently remove the plant and prune off any dead or damaged roots that you can see. Don’t break up the root ball to find dead roots though, try to keep the root ball as intact as possible.
3. Have a new pot ready that is around 1-2 inches in diameter larger than your former pot and add some drainage rocks to the bottom of the pot.
4. Add enough soil - lightly tamped down – to the bottom of the pot so that the crown of your plants root ball will rest about an inch below the top of your new pot – gently add soil to fill in around the root ball and lightly tamp down.
5. Gently water all the surface of the soil with lukewarmwater until it starts to run out of the bottom of the pot – you want to water enough to help settle the new soil against the root ball and not have any air pockets remain. (I do this in my bathtub to reduce the mess and keep my drop cloth dry) top dress with a little more soil if needed so the crown of the root ball is not sticking up from the soil – but don’t smother it – too deep and it will rot, too shallow and it will dry out.
6. Place the newly potted plant in a low light area for a week or so to give it a chance to readjust before putting it back in its regular location.

Enjoy the glory of your indoor “garden” !! Some professional landscape companies have indoor plant divisions and most highly-rated professional gardeners have a good knowledge base about how to get the most out of your indoor plants if you need help with diagnosing problems or transplanting.