How do I care for my houseplants in winter?

Not only the garden goes dormant during the autumn and winter months, but also the houseplants. So this month, we can shift the focus of our green houseplants to that other green element in the house: the Christmas tree! Your houseplants may be less demanding in winter, but it is still best not to lose sight of them completely. We give you three tips to help your plants survive the winter.

🌵 More or less water?

There are different opinions about watering during the cold months. Some say that you should water your plants more because the heating is on, while others advise you to water your plants less often because they won't grow anymore anyway. Just like people, every plant is different and you know your plant best. Pass the plants regularly with a humidity meter or push your finger four centimetres into the pot and see if the soil has dried out there. When the lowest layers of soil have dried out, you can water again. It is always better that the plants get a little too little water than too much, because then your plant will drown and it will be difficult to save it.

🌵 Ensure higher humidity

• What is certain is that the air humidity drops in the winter. Air humidity is an important factor when keeping houseplants, and certainly when keeping tropical varieties. In general, the humidity in the house is often on the low side, especially when the central heating is turned up again or a fireplace is lit regularly in the winter. The average humidity in the house is 30% and in winter it can even reach 20%. This while most plants require a humidity of 50 to 70%.
  
  
• Do you water your plants regularly (but not too much) and do the leaves start to curl up or develop brown edges? Then humidity is probably too low. But why is this so important? Plants need CO2 for photosynthesis. When they absorb CO2, moisture will start evaporating from their leaves. This moisture needs to be replenished, but when the air humidity is too low, this will no longer be possible and the leaves will start to dry out. As a result, the plant will drop its leaves and they will also discolour. It is not only important for our green friends to provide for more moisture in the air during the winter, it benefits people as well! If the air in your home is too dry, you may even suffer from an annoying tickling cough, dry throat & eyes, allergies...
  
  
• There are also plants that create higher humidity in the house. It is therefore sensible to give some of these species a place to live. Think of the golden palm, grass lily, dragon blood tree or spoon plant.
  
• Another option is to move the plants into the bathroom. There, the humidity in the house is at its highest. You can also let them enjoy a shower now and then. Caution: not all plants are suitable for this. Always find out what care requirements your plant has.

Has the humidity dropped by just a small percentage?

Then you can easily solve this by putting a few cups of water on the heater so that the water in the air will evaporate. Or, in addition to watering the plants, you can regularly walk around the house with a plant spray to provide them with the necessary refreshment. It is advisable to use rainwater as tap water often contains calcium, which causes white spots on the leaves.

Is the humidity in your house really too low, or are you the proud owner of a collection of tropical plants?

Then the big guns will have to be deployed in the form of a humidifier. There is a wide range of these devices with all kinds of functions. From simple devices that cost a few tens of euros to more complicated professional devices that cost over a hundred euros. These days, you can also find them in a nice design so that they are not a disturbing factor in the house. The most important thing is that the humidifier is antibacterial and cleans the air in your home. However, don't overdo the spraying and misting either, because the warmer and damper it gets in your home, the more likely it is that mould will grow, and that's not healthy either.

🌵 Stop fertilising

During spring and summer, we regularly treat our houseplants to some  (liquid) fertiliser so that they can show their best side. The plants will not grow during the winter, so they do not need fertiliser until spring. Too much fertiliser is also harmful to the plant.

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