HELP YOUR HOUSEPLANTS THROUGH THE WINTER

The winter can be a tough time for indoor plants as well as those living outside. The biggest danger to most of our beloved houseplants is our treatment of them – they really do suffer from overwatering. The first signs of a problem are often yellow patches, brown edges to the leaves which sometimes curl and wilt, followed by the leaves dropping off, finally the damage may spread to the roots leading to rot and the collapse of the plant. At the first sign of a problem by dramatically reducing watering you may be lucky and save the plant.

So when it is right to water your plants? As a general rule the compost should be kept on the dry side. A good method is to use the finger tip test. Just push the tip of your finger into the compost about 1cm deep and if it is dry then it is time to give the plant just a light watering. We love our central heating but it does dry the atmosphere and indoor plants too often suffer. It helps to stand the pots on trays of water filled with gravel or regularly give them a light misting. Try to keep the leaves clean as the plants need to absorb as much light as possible. Whilst it’s true that most flowering and variegated plants like a well-lit position they do need to be kept out of cold draughts. After you have drawn the curtains at night any plants left on the window sill can be at risk. The gap between the closed curtains and windows at night can be extremely cold and not many plants can cope with the sudden drop in temperature.

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