Every year, like clockwork, we find winter an absolute challenge when it comes to caring for our indoor plants. The leaves begin to droop, they start turning yellow, and overall, you’re left with a pretty unhappy plant.
It’s a hard time for indoor plants and a hard time for you, so we’ve put together four easy fixes to help you care for your indoor babies.
Winter Dormancy
Most houseplants come from tropical countries and don't experience such drastic temperature declines, but they aren’t broken, and they aren’t dying. They simply slow down to conserve energy. Think of it as a resting period rather than a problem to solve.
Look for:
-
Little to no growth
-
Slightly duller or drooping leaves
-
Soil retaining moisture longer than usual
Now, you do not need to fix dormancy, but you do need to ensure you’re not creating more difficult environments for your plant babies. So here are some fixes.
Fix 1: Give Them More Light (The Number One Winter Complaint)
Shorter days mean your plants are getting just a fraction of the light they once had in summer or spring. Even a spot that was bright in January can be surprisingly dim in July. Low light is the primary cause of leggy, pale plants during this time of year.
Easy solution, though.
Move them closer to the light. Pay attention to where the brightest indirect light spots are within your home now that we’re in winter. Ensure you’re wiping down your plant leaves so they can absorb as much light as possible. One of our planty experts, Nikita, likes to wipe her plant leaves down once a week with our Leaf Cleaning Gloves and Protect Spray. She does this during the morning and actually holds her phone flashlight over the leaves to see where the dust build-up has happened.
Bring the sun to them. If you don’t have time, or your home doesn’t have enough light, the easiest solution is to bring the sun to them. A lot of greenhouses and horticulturists do this. They use the Instant Sun Grow Lamp to mimic full-spectrum sunlight and ensure the plant is receiving exactly what it needs.
Fix 2: Protect Them from Heaters Drying the Air
This is a sneaky killer. Heaters keep us cosy, but for our plants? They strip moisture from the air fast. Most houseplants love a humidity level of 50–60%, whereas a heated room in winter can drop below 30%. Those crispy brown tips, curling leaves, and plants that seem thirsty no matter what you do? It’s the heater.
How to handle it:
-
Keep plants at least a metre or two away from heaters, fireplaces, and heating vents. Direct hot air is the fastest way to fry a plant.
-
Group your plants together. They release moisture through their leaves, so a cluster of them creates its own little climate.
-
Pop plants on a tray of pebbles with a bit of water in it. This isn’t a solution that can solve it all, but it does help on top of the other tips.
-
Avoid windowsills, please!! The cold drafts are deadly, especially at night. Place your hand on the window and feel that cold, icy draft? They feel it ten times more, and it can be devastating. Heating plus cold windowsills is a stressful combination.
Fix 3: Water Less but Check More
With less light and slower growth, your plants don’t need as much water as they did in summer. Watering on your usual schedule, or on a schedule in general, is the fastest way to end up with soggy soil or root rot.
The simple rule of thumb is to ditch the schedule and check the soil instead. Poke your finger 3–5 cm into the soil. If it’s still damp, wait. If it’s dry, water lightly and let the excess drain away.
Fix 4: Keep Feeding
There’s an old myth that you have to stop feeding your plants in winter. This thinking applies to synthetic fertilisers because they can build up and burn roots while plants are dormant. With chemical feeds, yes, that is true.
Organic feeding is not the same. Grow Concentrate is made with organic vermi extracts, so it works with your plant rather than forcing it. It won't burn or overdose your plants, which means you can safely add it to every watering all through winter. Your plants stay gently nourished through dormancy and have everything they need to bounce back with a burst of growth come spring.
TL;DR
Sad winter plants usually come down to four things: less light, dry heated air, overwatering, and confused feeding. Sort those out, and your plants will cruise through the cooler months, ready to take off when the days get longer.
Got a plant that's still sulking after all this? Tell us what's going on at hello@wethewild.co, and we'll help you troubleshoot.
