Gardening: Keeping indoor plants alive and thriving this winter

Happy New Year everyone. The holidays will soon be over, and we will be settling into the season of snow and cold. Our outdoor plants will be tucked in under the snow for the duration of winter. We are going to have to get our plant fixes indoors for now.

Houseplants have become quite popular during the pandemic as people tried to dress up their houses turned offices and keep themselves busy. A well-chosen plant can brighten a dark corner, add a scent to the air if it flowers and even provide herbs for cooking. Here are some of the basic points that need to be considered to keep healthy and happy houseplants.

All indoor plants need three things. The right amount of light and water and an appropriate amount of fertilizer.

Light is the most important point to consider when choosing plants. Some plants like the popular fig tree (Ficus benjamina) and jade plant need to be close to a bright sunny window to do well. Others like snake plant and pothos vine do fine in darker interior spaces. Judging light intensity will take some experimentation because the intensity of light drops off quickly as you move back from a window. A quick test is to put your hand out in the light, if the shadow has crisp edges, it is bright light. As you move away from the source the shadow gets fuzzy and indistinct. There are also several light meter apps available on smart phones that can register the exact foot-candles of the light. A plant that prefers medium level light will need 250 to 1,000 foot-candles of light.

There are dozens of styles of indoor lights that can be hung over plants, and they don’t have to be expensive growing lights, good quality LED fixtures work well especially if they have an exposed bulb. The light needs to be just a few inches above the plant to be effective because its intensity drops so quickly.

Each houseplant will have its own water requirements. Some like to dry out a bit between waterings while others need a steady supply. A general rule of thumb is to insert your index finger down to the first joint; if the soil is dry, water the plant. Pour the water slowly over the root ball until it runs out the bottom of the pot. Let the plant sit for 10 minutes and then remove the excess water from the saucer. Soggy soil leads to root rot. Remember that during the winter, most house plants are dormant so they may need water once every week or two.

Lastly, don’t over fertilize houseplants. They live in a confined pot that dictates their size. It is best to buy a good quality houseplant fertilizer that is low in nitrogen and then dilute it further. Houseplants don’t need to be fed in the winter while they are dormant. Wait until March and then start a fertilizer regime when they resume growing and through until October.