Features of wintering indoor plants

Probably every gardener, and not only a beginner, has “lost” their indoor flowers at some point, and this most likely happened in winter. A cold window sill, hot dry air from radiators, drafts and excessive watering are common causes of plant death in winter. Incorrect organization of winter dormancy may not kill the plant immediately, but it will negatively affect its overall development and subsequent flowering. Many indoor plants bloom and grow, albeit more slowly, in the cold season, but most flowers need a dormant period. This article will tell you about the features of wintering our indoor favorites.

Features of wintering indoor plants
Features of wintering indoor plants

Contents:

Indoor flowers that do not require special conditions in winter

Many plants in our homes come from the tropical forests of South America and Asia. In these areas, there are no sharp transitions from warm to cold – the temperature and humidity are approximately the same throughout the year. Therefore, our indoor “tropicals” usually grow all year round, without a break. The most popular representatives of the tropics in our homes are:

  • dieffenbachia;
  • monstera;
  • syngonium;
  • scindapsus;
  • ficus;
  • dracaenas;
  • reo;
  • aglaonema;
  • alocasia.

All these plants do not require special winter conditions. However, in order for the flowers not to lose their attractiveness, they also need to be provided with a certain level of comfort, because the climate in our apartments changes dramatically with the onset of cold weather.

In winter, many indoor plants do not need fertilizing, so We do not apply fertilizers from October to March.

If the flower pot is on the windowsill, you need to provide the roots with warmth. To do this, you need install containers with plants on heat-insulating material – wooden or foam panel. If this is not possible, remove the flower from the windowsill and place it near the window.

In the cold season, indoor plants often die from overwatering, since the air temperature is higher than the soil temperature, and the roots, which are in the cold, work worse. Therefore, an essential condition for successful wintering – reduce watering. You always need to let the top layer of soil dry out.

Heating devices, no matter how beautiful and environmentally friendly they are, dry the air. Dry leaf tips signal the need to increase humidity. Tropical plants need spray daily and preferably several times a day. To increase humidity, the flower pot can be placed in a tray with water. To prevent the bottom of the pot from touching the water, pebbles are poured into the tray and the flower is placed on it. Many gardeners place open flat containers with water on the radiators. The water evaporates from the heat, increasing the humidity in the room.

Since tropical plants most often continue to grow in winter – they need good lighting. Due to lack of light, shoots stretch out, internodes lengthen, and the whole plant becomes pale and frail. Therefore, a southern window is an ideal option, and if there is a possibility of additional lighting, then with the help of a phytolamp you can increase the duration of daylight hours, turning it on for two hours in the morning and evening. Sometimes flower growers use fluorescent lamps, but to achieve the effect, it must be placed approximately 20 cm from the plants, and this is not always convenient.

The optimum temperature for tropical plants in winter is +18…+22оC. Indoor flowers should be watered and sprayed in winter with settled water at room temperature or slightly warmer.

Reo does not require special wintering conditions
Reo does not require special wintering conditions. © Galina Maryina

Plants that require relative winter dormancy

A large group of indoor plants are natives of the subtropics. Among them there are decorative deciduous shrubs, evergreen vines, and beautifully flowering herbaceous plants – the variety of shapes and colors amazes the imagination.

Often, having encountered such beauty in a store, an unlucky amateur buys a flower without inquiring about the conditions required for its maintenance. Meanwhile, this group of plants, regardless of whether it comes from dry or humid subtropics, needs winter rest.

To bring the wintering conditions of subtropical plants closer to natural ones, it is necessary to lower the air temperature to +15…+16оC. It is best to place pots with such flowers on a window facing away from the south. Bright sun is contraindicated for them, but air humidity must be increased by any means.

But not all flowers are suitable for spraying, especially in the cold season. Spots may appear on the leaves, and the core of rosette flowers often rots when exposed to water. Therefore, it is better to use trays with pebbles filled with water, air humidifiers, or cover the radiator in the room with a damp towel.

Watering in cool conditions should be especially careful. It is necessary to let the soil dry out and always dig the soil in the pot before watering. If it is dry under the top layer, you can water.

Flowers wintering in a cool room do not need additional lighting. Fertilizing is also excluded until spring. If all these conditions are met, plant growth will stop, and this is exactly what the dormant period is for.

Popular shrubs and trees native to the dry subtropics:

  • cordyline;
  • fuchsia;
  • many types of begonia;
  • bougainvillea;
  • oleander;
  • tradescantia;
  • pelargonium;
  • Chlorophytum.
Bougainvillea requires some changes in care in winter.
Bougainvillea requires some changes in care in winter. © Galina Maryina

Natives of the humid subtropics

  • azalea;
  • amaryllis;
  • hibiscus;
  • asparagus;
  • aspidistra;
  • ferns;
  • Hoya carnosa.

Desert inhabitants

Desert dwellers succulents and cacti – the most unpretentious, at first glance, indoor favorites also need winter rest. This group of plants winters well on a cool sunny window with rare, or rather, very rare watering. This procedure should be more like lightly moistening the soil than watering.

Optimum air temperature +13…+18оC, humidity – whatever it is. If you fail to create suitable conditions, cacti and succulents will continue to grow, but due to lack of light they will stretch out and lose their rich color.

Features of winter dormancy of orchids

Orchids have recently become very popular in indoor floriculture. Beautiful plants with beautiful long-lasting flowers have won the hearts of even people who are far from floriculture. The wintering of representatives of this group largely depends on the type of plant.

Phalaenopsis is the most common type of orchid, when kept in winter it prefers bright lighting, often with additional lighting. Air temperature +16…+20оWith and rare watering, by immersing the pot in water. Fertilizers are given no more than once a month and with a lower concentration than in summer. The same conditions are suitable for other orchids with a mild dormant period – miltonia and paphiopedilum, dendrobium, lelia.

Phalaenopsis, when kept in winter, prefers bright lighting, often with additional lighting.
Phalaenopsis prefers bright lighting during winter maintenance, often with additional lighting. © Galina Maryina

Plants that require complete rest during winter

Some orchids (certain types of dendrobiums, tunias and pleiones) need complete rest in winter. The leaves of these plants die off in winter, so watering is gradually reduced to zero, allowing the soil to dry out completely. The ideal air temperature is from 8оFrom to10оC. The lighting is bright.

Plants such as hippeastrum and gloxinia also require absolute rest in winter. The leaves and stems die off by the end of the growing season, and all processes in the tubers and bulbs slow down. After complete drying, the leaves must be removed, and the pot with the plant must be covered with a saucer or a plastic bag with holes and put in a dark place with an air temperature of +12…+15оC. If there is no such place in the apartment, you can put the container in a black plastic bag and leave it on a cool windowsill, away from the radiator.

From time to time, the soil in the pots is slightly moistened to prevent the lump from drying out completely. With the onset of spring, the tubers and bulbs are transplanted into a new substrate, slightly moistened and placed on a light window. With the emergence of sprouts, they begin to give additional fertilizer.

Florarium – the best solution for winter maintenance of plants

Miniature flowers can be placed in florariums for the winter. Often, ordinary aquariums of various shapes are used for these purposes, since special glass pavilions for indoor flowers are very expensive. Most plants feel great in such conditions not only in winter.

A special microclimate creates optimal conditions for the growth of flowers – the absence of drafts, high humidity and stable temperature are liked by most indoor inhabitants. And a well-created composition of different species will become a charming decoration of the interior.

Miniature plants can be placed in florariums for the winter
Miniature plants can be placed in florariums for the winter. © Maia Orjonikidze

Diseases and pests of “indoor” plants in winter

In winter, our indoor inhabitants are threatened by diseases and pests. Flowers that overwinter on cold windowsills may develop various rots, since dampness and low temperatures create favorable conditions for the development of fungi. Therefore, careful watering is the main prevention of such diseases.

In rooms with low humidity, spider mites and mealybugs become active – they love dry air. Therefore, it is necessary to try to increase humidity in every way, and if pests have already appeared, then treat the plants with an insecticide. For indoor plants, it is best to use biological preparations such as Fitoverm or Avertin N. These products are slightly toxic to humans and pets, and they are quite effective against pests.

Conclusion. For most indoor plants, providing winter dormancy is not so difficult – the main thing is to know where they come from and how they overwinter in natural conditions. Therefore, when buying a flower, ask the seller how to care for the plant not only in summer but also in winter, and only after that, having assessed your capabilities, make a purchase.

After all, if you are not ready to spend your time and effort on growing a plant you like, but it is capricious, you can choose an unpretentious, but no less beautiful flower that will delight you for many years.

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