When houseplants get cold feet on the windowsill, they don't thrive

Created: 08/01/2023, 09:00

By: Ines Alms

Indoor plants need different care in winter than in summer.

If it gets too cold, for example, they stop growing.

Indoor plants don't have it easy in winter.

Dry heating air, less light and more pests - almost nothing is like it was in summer.

In order for them to survive the dark season well, it is important to adapt to their changing care needs.

This includes watering, fertilizing and protection from the cold.

Indoor plants in winter: special care is now required

Protection from the cold from below and occasional spraying with water are sensible care measures in winter.

©Panthermedia/Imago

Not every house or apartment is so well insulated that when the temperature drops below zero, the change in temperature stays completely outside.

Glass panes or stone window sills often radiate so much cold that they pass it on to the indoor plants via the leaves or the flower pot.

Especially sensitive specimens such as succulents or African violets can then stop growing.

Since they keep the irrigation water longer, overcooled plants are at risk of root rot and death.

In addition, they become more susceptible to pests such as spider mites and thrips.

To prevent this, you should place them on a coaster made of wood, cork or felt and make sure that the leaves are a few centimeters away from the window panes.

Drafts are also so dangerous in winter that even a single airing out at sub-zero temperatures can kill ferns, for example, from the cold, explains Karen Falch from the Saarland Garden Academy in the

.

In this case, a short change of environment makes sense.

Basically, the room temperatures for most plants, especially tropical ones, should not be below twelve degrees.

Heating air, fertilizer, watering – things are different in winter

In winter, care needs that differ from summer also apply in other respects:

• Too much heat is also not good: MDR Garten

  advises that if plants are standing on a surface with underfloor heating, they should be placed on a roller coaster or a corrugated coaster

  .

• Less is more: Since most indoor plants are in a dormant phase in winter, they hardly need any fertilizer.

• Heating air lowers the humidity – this should be between 40 and 60 percent.

  A water mist from a spray bottle is ideal for many plants.

• If plants are weak, it may be due to the lack of light.

  Place them in a brighter place, if available: for example, at a window without curtains or near a plant lamp.

• Only water the plants when the plant substrate is almost dry, otherwise there is a risk of mold and rot.

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Whether cold window fronts or dry heating air, the optimum temperature for most indoor plants is, according to

, at a rather cool 16 to 20 degrees.

If you can stand it, you get a nice side effect: it saves on heating costs.