This guide for taking care of houseplants in winter will make sure that your indoor plants survive (and thrive!) during the winter months.
Indoor plants are easy to grow during the spring and summer when sunlight is abundant. However, when the days are short and cold, they need extra care to do well indoors.
Whether you’re bringing your outdoor plants inside this winter, or caring for your year-round indoor plants, it’s necessary to make a few changes to their care during the cooler months of the year.
Winter plant care revolves around three main topics: monitoring humidity and watering needs, and understanding plant dormancy.
It’s important to note that some plant types have specific growing needs. The following tips will offer a good guideline for general winter plant care, but it’s also important to have some knowledge of the basic needs of the plants you are growing.
For example, an amaryllis forced into winter bloom will behave quite differently than a jelly bean cactus plant which will likely be dormant all winter. Therefore, their care needs will be different.
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Tips for care of houseplants in winter
Learn how to take care of houseplants in the winter with the tips below.
Prepare outdoor plants for the transition indoors
If you’re bringing your outdoor plants inside this winter, you’ll need to do some plant maintenance to ensure that they are in tip-top condition.
Give the leaves of the plant a good wash, pull out any stray weeds, and prune plants as needed. Check for bugs and insects that love to live in potted plants outside and remove them if you find any.
Watering houseplants in winter
When watering indoor plants in the winter, it is important not to over-water. A good rule of thumb is to water them when it feels dry about 1″ down into the soil.
While it is important to avoid over-watering, it is also necessary to water thoroughly when you do water. Let the water run out of the drainage hole, drain the plant well, and then place the pot back in its saucer after it has finished draining.
Be sure not to leave the plant sitting in a saucer of water, or the roots may rot.
Some plants have specific watering needs. Drought-tolerant plants like succulents, snake plants, or cacti may not need to be watered as frequently as your other indoor plants.
Some plants, such as Easter cactus, like to have water withheld in the winter before the buds form to get more blooms.
Winter indoor houseplants like high humidity
Many indoor plants like high humidity and suffer from the hot dry air that is prevalent inside during the winter months. For this reason, it is important to maintain humidity around your houseplants.
Bathrooms and kitchens are good spots for indoor plants since these rooms naturally have a higher humidity.
In other rooms, you can use a plant humidifier, or spray plants with a plant mister every so often to keep the humidity at a good level. If you notice brown edges on the leaves, it’s a sign that your plants don’t have enough humidity.
Another way to increase humidity is to place your plant pots on a tray of pebbles with a small amount of water under them (making sure to keep the water under the top of the pebbles). This allows your plants to be in a moist environment without having to worry about root rot.
More tips for taking care of houseplants in winter
While watering your plants properly and maintaining their humidity is important, those are not the only things you can do to keep your houseplants happy this winter. The tips below will make sure your houseplants continue to thrive during the winter months.
Winter is not the time to repot houseplants
Even if the plants are slightly pot-bound, winter is not the time to re-pot them. Many plants are dormant during the winter months and trying to repot them will actually set them back.
Repot plants in early spring, when the growing season is just starting. This will ensure they grow healthy roots.
The bromeliad shown in the photo below has a young offset. This side shoot will make an excellent new plant, but I’ll wait to divide it in the spring for the best results.
Keep plant leaves clean during winter
This tip for growing indoor plants in winter is one that many gardeners overlook. Dust and grease can accumulate on indoor houseplant leaves. Wipe the leaves occasionally to keep this under control.
Large, firm-leafed plants may be cleaned with a soft sponge or cloth. Wash the foliage using a very mild solution of dishwashing soap and warm water.
Another method for cleaning the leaves of plants is to place them in the shower and give them a good “bath”. Be sure to adjust the water temperature before placing the plants under the shower head.
Some plants, like African violets and other fuzzy-leafed plants, don’t like this method of watering because it gets the leaves wet. Avoid this to ensure you don’t damage their leaves.
How to increase light levels for plants indoors in winter
Indoor plants suffer from a lack of natural light. A good way to combat this is by placing plants in south or east-facing windows if possible for the best light.
If you have a lot of plants that you want to bring inside for the winter, you can invest in a large metal plant stand to place in front of your windows.
I have one that I place in front of my sliding back door. This spot faces southerly, so the plants that need the most sun get put here.
Indoor grow lights are also a good option if you don’t have very good light in your home.
When choosing what plant to grow indoors this winter, you can opt for low-light indoor plants that will survive in areas that don’t get as much light.
Avoid drafts on plants indoors in winter
When choosing where to put your houseplants for enough sunlight, it is important to be careful of drafts.
Indoor plants are very susceptible to chills from open windows and doors. Try to position them where the cold drafts won’t get a chance to harm them.
Don’t crack open the windows and be sure to check the grouting on any nearby windows. This will make sure they are well-sealed and continue to be draft-free.
Don’t over-fertilize houseplants in winter
During the winter months, indoor plants do not grow as much, so they do not need fertilizer like they do in the summer months.
Unless your plants are actively flowering, fertilizing is not necessary at all during this time of year.
Keep an eye out for pests on indoor plants in winter
The dry conditions indoors allow plant bugs and other pests to flourish. Inspect the plants often and treat them as needed.
Keep houseplants clean and be sure to check the undersides of their leaves. This is a common spot for indoor plant pests to hide from view.
Plants with pests such as mealybugs and spider mites can easily spread to other plants nearby, so isolate them until they are free of pests.
Take cuttings of large plants
Do you have a plant that is too big to bring indoors? Take cuttings of it in the fall and put them in a sunny location.
You will have new plants for free next spring. My spider plant was enormous this year, but propagating the babies will give me several new plants for my hanging basket next year!
If you follow these tips for caring for indoor plants during the winter months, your houseplants will thrive. Any plants that you are returning outdoors will be ready for another spot in your garden next spring when the weather warms up.
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Winter's here! 🌿🌨️ Keep your indoor plants happy and healthy with these simple care tips. From making sure you have enough sunlight to tips for the right amount of watering, make sure your green friends thrive all season long!… Share on XPin this post about houseplants in winter
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You can also watch our video on YouTube!
Do you follow any other rules for winter house plant care? I’d love to hear your tips in the comment section below.
Admin Note: this post on how to care for houseplants in the winter first appeared on the blog in January 2013. I have updated the post to add new photos, a printable project card, and a video for you to enjoy.
Winter Care for Houseplants
Indoor plant care during the winter months can be a problem due to low light and humidity problems. Our care tips for growing indoor plants in winter make it easy for you.
Print out this list for helpful hints to care for plants in the winter months.
Materials
- Houseplants
- Plant stand
Tools
- Mister
- Watering can
Instructions
- If you're bringing your outdoor plants inside this winter, examine them first. Prune and discard dead leaves.
- Cut watering down. Plants don't need as much water in the winter.
- Keep humidity high with pebble trays or a plant mister.
- Don't repot plants until spring.
- Avoid drafts from cold windows.
- Group plants on a plant stand for best results.
- Watch light levels and move plants if necessary.
- Don't fertilize until spring.
- Check for pests such as mealy bugs, and spider mites.
- Take cuttings of plants you can't bring indoors.
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Audrey
Sunday 6th of December 2020
This is very helpful issue describe in the post. I have a indoor garden, I worried about the garden care of winter. This post helps a lot. Thank you for the post.
Florine MG
Monday 9th of March 2020
Thank you for sharing such valuable knowledge with us. Ideas about keeping the leaves clean are awesome. It means a lot for beginners like to find such content which helps to take care of indoor plants.
Nader Samaan
Sunday 5th of January 2020
I’m looking for someone to take care of indoors plants In a house at Arcadia on a regular basis for a reasonable feet
Carol Speake
Sunday 5th of January 2020
I'll publish this comment, but you are more likely to get a response if you try to find a local way to ask the question. This blog has readers all over the USA.
Muhammad Subhaan
Sunday 17th of February 2019
The way you have explained about how indoors plants don't need much fertilizer, Has gaved me a good idea. This information will be useful for all people who are wondering how to take care of their plants in winter. Thanks for the information:)
Kate Welling
Thursday 27th of December 2018
I like how you mentioned that indoor plants cannot grow as much, so they don't need fertilizer. This could be very good information to a lot of people wondering! The air in my house seems a little dirty, and I would love to get some indoor plants to help eliminate that problem.