Caring for plants year round is important to ensure they live a long and prosperous life. During the cold months, winter plant care can be a bit more difficult. Below, I've provided some helpful winter plant care tips to get your green friends through the cold season.
Caring for large plants during winter months
Large house plants do well if you keep them clean. Do this by gently wiping their leaves of grime and dust. Doing this twice a year helps the plant grow and breathe.
While rinsing, be on guard for scale, mealybugs, and spider mites. Mealybugs look like little specks of cotton. If you still see mealybugs after rinsing, spray the plant with an insecticidal soap.
In cold climates, keep plants away from or against windows, and away from heat sources. Poinsettias like moist soil, but make sure to not over water and drown them.
Winter care for poinsettias
Poinsettias are on sale almost everywhere you shop during the holiday season. Before purchasing them, make sure you inspect them for white flies or eggs, as these can go airborne and infest other plants in your home.
The onset of winter means less daylight is available. During this time of year, most house plants are semi-dormant, so it's important to cut down on the watering. It's also best to not fertilize until early spring. Southern states may be a little different depending on how hot the temperatures are during the winter months.
If you liked this article, you may also be interested in some of our other Petal Talk articles from 1-800-Flowers.com expert Jerry Rosalia:
AUTHOR
With over 60 years of floral industry experience, Jerry Rosalia was born with a green thumb. Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, Jerry is a third generation florist, and has been with 1-800-Flowers.com for 31 years. With a smile on his face, Jerry lends his floral expertise to florists around the country through Bloomnet, 1800Flowers' floral wire network, in addition to writing for Petal Talk. In his spare time Jerry enjoys spending time with his family, being an Usher at his church, as well as eating out, bowling, gardening, and watching sports.