Winter care | website

Caring for your indoor plants in winter

You can easily and successfully care for
nearly any plant indoors during the winter
(even really big ones!)

It isn't as daunting as it might seem. This is all you need:

LED full-spectrum bulbs

You can find these highly useful light bulbs at nearly any big box store like Lowe's or Home Depot, or get them online through Amazon, etc. Make sure they are full-spectrum plant grow lights (if you purchase "plant lights" they are often incandescent bulbs that do nothing for plants). Since these are LEDs, they are extremely energy efficient, so you can keep them turned on all day without creating even a small blip on your electricity bill, and they last a very long time. An easy rule-of-thumb is: turn them on when you get up in the morning and turn them off when you go to bed at night.

Another great thing about these bulbs is that they will work in nearly any light fixture, whether it's a small table lamp, ceiling light, or floor lamp.

Multi-directional floor lamp

The big advantage of multi-head or multi-directional floor lamps is that your plant can receive light from more than one direction, as you move the individual lights to reach different areas of your plant. The height is also beneficial for reaching larger plants. If your plants are smaller, you can direct your lights to reach several plants at once.

For really small plants, a simple table lamp with an LED full spectrum light bulb will work just fine.

Vaporizer or humidifier

Indoor plants really suffer from dry heat in the winter. In addition to making sure your plants are not near a heat duct, fireplace, portable heater, or any other source of heat, plants still need more humidity than the average house can offer. A vaporizer or humidifier placed very near your plants (even pointed directly toward them) will go a long way toward helping to keep them hydrated and healthy. It will also help to make the area around and on your plants inhospitable to spider mite infestations. If you have a humidity monitor, place it near the plant and try to keep the humidity close to 60% for most tropical plants and citrus (cactus & succulents need far less; ferns need more). That usually means keeping it running all day.

Humidity monitor

This is optional, but helpful. A humidity monitor (hygrometer) can be found easily and very inexpensively online, and will go a long way toward helping you determine whether or not your plant is getting enough humidity. You do not need a complicated or high tech monitor; a very simple one will be perfectly acceptable. The only feature that you need on the display is the humidity percentage.

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The instructions below will be very helpful, whether you are transitioning outdoor plants to come inside for the winter, or your plants are already inside year-round and you simply want to help them through the winter blahs.

Transitioning your tropical plants from outside to inside

Don’t wait until frost to begin the transition process! Watch your local weather forecast and move your plants to a shady part of your yard or covered porch two or three weeks before you plan to move them inside. Citrus, gardenias, and orchids: These plants need some cool nights to trigger blooming, and they can handle night temperatures in the 40s before coming back inside. Tropicals and houseplants: Most other plants should be moved indoors when night temperatures are consistently below 60 degrees.

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PEST CONTROL: Before moving them back inside, inspect your plants carefully for diseases and for pests such as spider mites and mealy bugs. Carefully wash your plants in the shade with mild, soapy water (2 Tbs dish detergent/gal) or horticultural oil to help remove any unseen pests. An application of systemic insecticide will also protect plants for up to six weeks.

Continue to carefully monitor your plants throughout the winter for pests and treat as needed with surface treatments and/or systemics. We carry reliable products at Pemberton's year-round. Organic insecticides are available if you have pets or small children and want to avoid stronger chemicals.

Systemic pesticides and horticultural oil are good to have on-hand and can work on persistent indoor pests.

PRUNE: Trim your plants as needed to shape and maintain desired size. (We can prune your plants for you, including root pruning to reduce the overall size of your plants and make them a more manageable size.) Give your plants a hard trim to encourage new growth next season. Remove any fallen leaves or other debris from the surface of your soil to reduce hiding places for insects and disease.

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WATERING: Once they move indoors, plants generally require less water than they did outside, as long as the air in your house is not too dry. Most plants can be watered every 10 to 14 days.

When you do water, water thoroughly until water drips out the bottom of the pot. Do not let the pot sit in water, however. Pemberton’s carries inexpensive rubber pot risers that are ½” thick to place between the bottom of your pot and your saucer. You could also use 3 or 4 wine corks, old pieces of tile, or upside-down plastic bottle caps to create a space between the pot and saucer.

Watch for spider mites on Hibiscus

HUMIDITY: Your plants have become accustomed to the high humidity of summer, and will especially appreciate humidity indoors once you start using your furnace. Many tropical plants will benefit from a humidifier or vaporizer near them, which will help to counteract the damaging effects of dry air and discourage spider mites. Keep your plants away from heat ducts!

If your plants are not too large for you to move, they will thoroughly enjoy an occasional shower to rinse dust off of their leaves (or simply use a clean dust rag). This makes it easier for the leaves to function at full capacity.

FERTILIZER: Most plants will need only one application of slow release fertilizer for the winter or ½ strength liquid fertilizer, once per month. Remember that citrus and gardenias prefer an acidic fertilizer such as Miracid or any fertilizer approved for azaleas and rhododendrons.

Watch for mealy bugs on citrus

LIGHT: Provide your plants with plenty of light. This is especially necessary for plants that are sun-lovers like citrus. Get them as close to a large window as possible.

You should also consider providing supplemental lighting in the form of LED Grow Light Bulbs (do not use incandescent bulbs or “plant light” bulbs, which are nothing more than incandescent bulbs and will not benefit your plants). LED Grow Light bulbs can be purchased at most box stores and online. You do not have to purchase special light fixtures. For example GE and Feit Electric offer grow bulbs to fit most of your existing table, floor, and ceiling lamps.

When combined with natural sunlight, they will give your plants the light spectrum that they require to help them make it through the winter indoors. At least 10 hours of supplemental light every day is helpful, but do not leave your lights on all night.

Plants that are not sun-lovers can be positioned in an east window or near a window with a sheer curtain.

Consider rehoming any plants that you feel you can no longer keep. Scroll down to the "Rehoming" button below, for suggestions.

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As much as possible, try to mimic your plants' outdoor or natural growing conditions to greatly increase your likelihood of success.

Printable instructions

Rehoming your plants

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Caring for your indoor plants in winter

You can easily and successfully care for nearly any plant indoors during the winter (even really big ones!)

Transitioning your tropical plants from outside to inside

You can easily and successfully care for
nearly any plant indoors during the winter
(even really big ones!)