Tips for Plant Care Through Winter

As the the weather cools down, our plants need some special care. The temperature drop may cause damage to your plant outdoors. So when there is a sudden temp decrease, remember to take your potted plants inside, especially those who are not that hardy. And sometimes even indoor plants can have a difficult time surviving the winter. No one wants to see their loving greenery die away during the changing season. Luckily, there’s a lot you can do to help your plants go through the winter. Here’s what you can take action in general.

Lower watering frequency

Most house plants remain dormant in winter days. They need less water in this period, so you’d better change your regular watering frequency to avoid root rot or other diseases. Perhaps you’ll be confused about when to water. Go and check whether the soil is moist or not. You can directly stick your finger into the soil about an inch below the surface, and then see if there’s any soil on your finger. If it is, leave it for days until the soil is completely dry.

For those who grow plants in our self-watering planters, things are a bit different. Normally we will water our flower several days after the red stick in the water level indicator reaches the minimum line. And when watering, we should notice the maximum line. For wintertime, we suggest extending your watering interval. And you’d better not fill the water to the max, for the water reservoir needn’t to be full. Leave some space between the roots and water reservoir is necessary.

water level indicator

Avoid repotting in winter

The majority of plants grow slowly from November to February, during which repotting is tough on them because it’s hard for them to develop new roots. And they need to save all their energy to get through the winter. The beginning of March is the best time of a year to repot them, for they wake up and start to grow actively.

Prune trees or shrubs

Winter is great for pruning and trimming. It’s aimed at encouraging vigour in plants so that fruit trees can be more productive and also help control or prevent the spread of disease. Not all plants are suitable for winter pruning. Some plants should be pruned in spring, while others are best left until summer or autumn. Common plants like grapevines, clematis, fruit bushes, roses, apple and pearl trees are suggested being pruned in winter. If you’re in doubt, just google it, and you’ll get the right answer.