Winter Plant Care

The way we care for our houseplants over the winter needs to change slightly to account for a change in their environment.

Plants sustain themselves through the process of photosynthesis. In very simple terms, they use light to create sugars that feed their growth and cells. Temperature and CO2 both play a part in photosynthesis too and a decrease in any of these 3 elements will slow down the rate at which the plant can photosynthesize.

As our winters here in the UK are darker and much cooler, we can therefore water our plants less frequently. With a decrease in daylight hours and temperature, the plants will not be able to make use of the same amount of water they have been given throughout the summer and brighter, warmer months.

It can be helpful to move plants to brighter spots in your home if possible until the clocks change and we have longer days. Reducing the frequency of watering and potentially the quantity of water will also benefit your plants.

Many people like to check their plants weekly for watering and often have a day of the week that they do this. It's ok to stick to the schedule, but rather than watering, just check to see if your plant needs water and don't worry about leaving them longer between watering, under watering is always preferrable to over watering.

Pick your plants up and check the weight of the pot and feel the soil at the bottom. If it's heavy or damp, then it's likely that your plant doesn't need any more water (obviously this will depend on the exact plant). For larger, heavy plants, you could use a wooden stick, inserted into the soil to check how damp the soil is at the bottom of the pot (like checking a cake to see if it's cooked through!). If in any doubt, let it go without.

The biggest caveat here is cacti, which don't require any water over the winter months at all. They are used to drying out and store their water in the plant itself. Don't water these again until spring. It feels wrong, but trust us on this one!

Plants usually slow down their growth over the winter (unless you're using grow lights etc) and you may notice smaller, stunted growth if any at all. Some may drop a few leaves too, but rest assured this is usually normal. We're always happy to answer plant questions and try to help where we can, just get in touch!