How to Care for Plants in the Winter
Caring for your plants in the winter can be tricky because the freezing temperatures can damage or destroy them. Dry air and lack of natural light during the winter and in your home can also do damage to your plants so you have to manage humidity levels and provide sufficient artificial light. Water, one of the most important things for keeping plants alive can be a large cause for why your plants die too, so knowing how much water to give and when is important.
Make Sure They Get Enough Light
How much light a plant needs varies, but you want to make sure that especially during the winter months when natural light isn't as plentiful, you want to expose your plants to enough additional artificial light to continue growing.
Mix Sand, Sawdust and Compost into your Soil
This allows water to drain more effectively from the soil, which is useful because soil that has too much water in it will likely freeze in the winter, and if soil surrounding the plant's roots freeze, the plant will die because it won't be able to absorb water or nutrients from the soil.
Use Less Water More Frequently
To prevent ice from forming in the soil, use just enough water to properly feed the plant for a short time and add some more when the plant has absorbed the last bit of water. This way, there's never too much idle water sitting around that could freeze, and your plants are properly watered.
Layer your Soil with Mulch
For an extra layer of protection, preventing the roots from getting too cold and the water in the soil from freezing over, throw some mulch on top of your soil. Think of it like a blanket for the soil.
Keep it Humid
The winter air is generally stripped of moisture and it's likely to be dry in your home as well because of your heater, so make sure to keep areas where the plants are humid so the plants don't dry out and the humid air can be a partial substitute for water to the plant.
