Should I change how I look after my plant during winter?

Should I change how I look after my plant in the winter?

Most Patch houseplants come from tropical places, where the seasons don't change as dramatically as they do in the UK. This is why they make great houseplants, because their natural conditions are a good match for your nice warm home.

There are a few changes during autumn and winter that can affect how you should care for your indoor plants. Make sure your plant isn’t near a radiator because the high temperatures can dry out their soil faster. If you’re lucky enough to have underfloor heating, this can upset your plants by keeping their roots too warm. Plant stands are a good way around this problem.

Cold drafts from poorly insulated windows, or regularly opened doors, can make your plant unhappy. A plant can die in minutes if exposed to very cold air.

Try to avoid dramatic temperature changes that could shock your plant, like moving your houseplant from a very cold to very warm room. If you turn the heating off when you go away you might want to shuffle your plants to the warmest spot in the house.

Shorter daylight hours in winter may mean that your plant needs to be placed closer to a window, so they can make the most of the available sun. Make sure to also clean any dust off the leaves, so they can soak up all the rays they can get.

While there are exceptions, most plants are actively growing during the spring and summer but then slow down, or even become completely dormant, over winter. As a result they are gobbling up less water and nutrients, so water them less often and stop fertilising them until the weather warms up.