Tips to keep your plants alive in winter

During the Winter period our plants need to change their routine and be treated differently than they are the rest of the year. Don't worry, this doesn't mean they need a lot more care than usual. In fact they require less attention than the rest of the year, although there are a few adjustments that need to be made. Discover our tips on how to take care of your plants this winter.

Together with fewer hours of sunshine and the blanket of night falling earlier and earlier, our homes receive much less light in winter than during other seasons of the year. So, to keep your plants from running out of energy during this time, consider moving them closer to a natural light source, such as a window, so that they benefit from most of the daylight hours.

If you live in a small house facing an interior courtyard, for example, you may not have enough natural light coming into the house, especially on cloudy winter days. If this is the case for you, try placing your plants under artificial light for several hours a day. In fact, you can put them in front of a mirror or a white wall to increase the intensity.

In winter, the nutrient requirements of plants are drastically reduced. It is therefore not necessary to water them every day. To know when to do this, touch the soil of the plant. If it is still damp or cold, watering is not necessary. Watering is usually necessary on a weekly basis, although each plant has its own needs.

Like us, plants do not like to be placed in the middle of a draught. Although this is the case all year round, plants are even more unhappy in the cold winter wind. Place them somewhere there is no cold air current.

In order not to weaken the plant, we recommended not giving it water that is too cold. Just as we do not like to shower with cold water, plants prefer water at room temperature (between 5°C and 15°C) and preferably without lime.

Many varieties of plants can't tolerate the heat of radiators or heaters, as these tend to dry them out. Plants are living things which, on the contrary, need humidity to survive. Therefore, the closer they are to a heat source, the more likely they are to die, so it is preferable to keep them as far away as possible from artificial heat sources.

Dust can quickly accumulate on the leaves of houseplants, causing them to age quicker than they should. Our advice is to dust them every ten days with a brush. And to make your plant look even shinier, you can put a few drops of olive oil on a damp cloth and gently wipe each leaf.

In general, houseplants require a temperature between 18°C and 20°C (64.4°F - 68°F) during the day. At night, however, they should be left in a cooler place. The ideal temperature should be between 15° C and 18° C (59°F - 64.4°F). It is essential not to overheat the house to avoid thermal shock after dark.

Did you know that your plants are happier in clay pots? This is because it is a porous material. It helps to retain moisture and so the roots are much healthier. When choosing a pot for your plant, choose a clay pot rather than a plastic one.

Although they may not be a flowering species, houseplants are usually pruned in late winter. To prune your plants, first look for brown, dry or limp stems. With sharp pruning shears, cut the stems just below the damaged parts. It will keep the stems in good condition, which will help increase the chances of optimal growth. Be careful not to cut green stems and leaves.

On the other hand, if you have flowering houseplants, you can remove unhealthy flowers from the beginning of Winter. These flowers may have yellowed, browned or dried out, especially due to the high summer temperatures. Remember to cut off wilted and dying flowers at their base with pruning shears to give new, stronger and more beautiful flowers a chance to grow.

Remember - in winter, water your plants in small quantities. As mentioned above, too much water can cause the roots to rot. Leaves tend to turn brown when the plant receives too much water.

The atmosphere of a house in winter is often too dry for our houseplants, remembering that they are moisture lovers. And, although we might think that regular watering is enough to keep our plants healthy, this is a mistake. As we explained above, overwatering can damage the roots, and that won't solve the problem of a dry environment, but what you can do is to spray the foliage of your plants several times a week.

It is best not to transplant your houseplants when they are in the resting period, i.e. between November and February. Instead, wait until the end of winter or the beginning of spring to transplant them, as this will stimulate their growth.

It is not necessary to add fertiliser to plants in winter. As we have already said, the nutrient needs of plants are reduced during the winter. Being in the hibernation phase, they do not need to receive fertiliser. Worse still, it could damage their roots.

Each species has specific demands. Therefore, you should learn about the maintenance of each of your plants in order to know how often to water them or which location suits them best. For example, some plants thrive better in low light, so it is important to consider the characteristics of each plant.

Now you know all the tips to keep your plants looking bright and healthy in your home throughout the winter. This way, their leaves and flowers will be in full bloom again in spring, thanks to good maintenance during the cold season.