During the winter, space heaters and fireplaces make the indoor air a lot drier and can cause houseplant leaves to turn dry and crispy. But by adjusting your plant care regimen in winter, you can protect even humidity-loving plants from damage and ensure your houseplant collection looks lush in spring.
From watering tricks to humidity boosters, here are five must-know winter survival tips for houseplants that will prevent browning leaves and other issues too.
Meet the Expert
- Jodi Cahillane completed the master gardener program and now works at Ward’s Nursery and Garden Center in the Berkshires.
- Jamie Metsch is the owner of Oak + Moss, a houseplant shop located in Salem, Massachusetts.
Increase Humidity
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Many tropical houseplants need extra humidity throughout the year to keep their leaves from drying out. But it’s even more important to provide these plants with a humidity boost in winter when indoor air gets a lot drier.
“Adding humidity is critical in the colder months due to the increased heat in our homes and offices,” Jamie Metsch, the owner of Oak + Moss, says. “The heat can dry up foliage far quicker than the soil and plant roots.”
Placing a humidifier near parched plants is one way to raise humidity and keep plant leaves from becoming crispy. But Jodi Cahillane, a worker at Ward’s Nursery and Garden Center, suggests using a pebble or humidity tray instead.
“A humidity tray is any shallow dish or pan that can hold a 1-inch deep layer of small stones,” Cahillane says. “Fill the dish with water so the water fills all the gaps around the stones and place the tray under your most susceptible tropical plants—and away from any roots emerging from pots.”
Cahillane explains that the humidity around houseplants rises as the water in humidity trays evaporates. All you need to do is fill up the humidity tray as it gets dry—no electricity is required.
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Reduce Water and Fertilizer
During summer, most houseplants need to be watered regularly and fertilized at least once a month. However, plant care needs to change in winter, and failing to adjust your watering and fertilizing schedule can lead to issues, like root rot and fertilizer burn.
“In the darker days of winter, most plants are in a resting period and they don’t require as much fertilizer or water because they aren’t actively growing,” Cahillane explains.
To avoid issues, make sure to water plants more sparingly in winter and skip the fertilizer entirely. You can increase watering and start fertilizing again when you see new growth in spring.
Move Plants Away From Heating Units
Space heaters, fireplaces, stoves, and other heat producers reduce indoor humidity levels; but they can also scorch plant leaves if plants get too close. That’s why it’s always wise to be cautious about plant placement and to move plants around (if needed) to ensure they aren’t growing too close to a heat source.
Cahillane recommends moving plants away from any source of blowing air since it will keep them cool and moist. Just make sure that you don’t place plants by a cold window or in another drafty area since cold air can damage plants too.
Water Deeply
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Cahillane recommends watering houseplants only when the soil feels dry to the touch and allowing water to pour through the pot’s drainage holes. This deep watering method ensures plant roots get the water they need and keeps potting mixes from drying out quickly in winter.
“When pots are allowed to dry out, the soil can become hydrophobic,” Cahillane says. “This makes water flow quickly and directly through the pot.”
Since this can be difficult for the plants to properly absorb the water, Cahillane suggests bringing overly dry pots to a sink or tub and watering slowly. Then, let the pot stand in the water for 20 minutes until the soil can absorb all the water, and then let the pot drain, Cahillane explains.
Group Plants Together
Adding a humidifier or pebble tray and keeping plants away from heating units can prevent parched leaves and leaf browning. But if you’re still worried about dry indoor air, you may also want to group plants with similar care needs together. This will create a microclimate with a higher humidity level and make plant care a little easier.
“Grouping plants together keeps moisture concentrated around them all,” Cahillane says.
If you want to increase humidity even more, position moisture-loving plants together on top of a shared pebble tray or place them around a humidifier that’s appropriately sized for your growing space. This can help you get more use out of a single humidifier and will make it easier to keep track of your plants’ care needs.
Just be sure to position succulents and other plants that prefer drier air in a more arid spot where added humidity won’t interfere with their growth.
