Table of Contents
- Heat mat
- Winter Containment
- Terracotta Pots
- Self Watering Pots
- Humidifier
- Radiator Space Heater
- Sphagnum Moss
- Clear Window Insulation
- Grow Light
During the Wintertime, there are going to be less light and cooler temperatures. A lot of plants are not going to be in their growing season at this point but there are some plants that will be in their growing season and you can use these things to help them as well. It just really depends on the specific type of plant but it can definitely be a time of leaf loss, pests, and disease, and cause a lot of plants to end up struggling. So here are some tools to help your plants through the winter
Heat mat
Incredibly helpful in the Wintertime for plants! A heat mat will radiate heat underneath your plants; keeping their roots nice and toasty warm and fighting off any cold damage. Especially useful if you have plants near a window or really far away from a heater. It is also really great if you want to start seedlings in the winter. A lot of indoor gardeners and plant parents start their seedlings in December and January. While preparing for the early Spring heat mats can really help to get that going as well.
Winter Containment
Another problem that comes with the Wintertime is humidity. Humidity can drop quite a bit especially when people start turning on their heaters. Tropical indoor plants especially tend to need higher humidity. You want to get something to contain that humidity. Something like a fish tank, Mini greenhouse, grow tent, or a larger indoor greenhouse. Any of these things will be helpful so the plants are still taken care of as well as warm.
Terracotta Pots
In certain areas like the northwest for example; the Winter time can bring a lot of rain and humidity. In certain locations, there can be a lot more humidity in the Wintertime than in the summertime. This means that plants may not need to be watered more. They may be more likely to be overwatered. A lot of the care tip guides out there for Winter care will tell you to pull back on the watering. This is not true in every case but in those specific cases what can help you is using terracotta pots. Terracotta will help wick away the excess moisture. It can prevent mold and root rot and prevent overwatering.
Self Watering Pots
Because every home is unique there are homes out there that will not have that excess humidity. There are homes that will actually dry out quite a bit. Some homes can have their humidity down to 10 to 15% when you have plants that want to be at 50% or more.
So what you can do in those situations along with the greenhouse is you can use self-watering pots. This type of pot is going to evaporate the water up or wick up the water (depending on how you have it set up). This type of pot is especially great for plants like Ferns and Calathea they don’t always like to dry out and need that extra humidty. Self-watering pots are very helpful and save your plant in the Wintertime so definitely keep an eye out for them or make your own.
Humidifier
If your humidity is really low in your home you might look into a humidifier. This is a device that makes humidty for you and distributes it in a certain area. They come in a variety of sizes as well. You want to make sure that you are getting a humidifier that’s going to fit your space. There are humidifiers that will work in little 4-by-4 spaces or ones that will work in 10 by 5 spaces. It just depends on the size that you get and how much water reservoir is in there. how often you’re going to be wanting to fill it and how much it can put out without burning out. Definitely look at the specifications of the ones you are considering. There are really great humidifiers out there that don’t cost an arm in a leg. Humidity is great for people as well as plants so it is kind of a win-win situation there. Just make sure to do your research.
Radiator Space Heater
If you get a radiator space heater it does not burn off as much humidity and it can keep a lot more moisture in the room for you. All while keeping your plants nice and toasty warm. It also does not really blow the heat around so you are less likely to dry your plants out that way as well.
You can put a fan next to it to disperse the heat better too if you need. There are a lot more heating options and this is kind of better for your plants than most it just depends on if it’s going to work in that space for you depending on how you have your room set up.
Definitely, something to look at. Do not be afraid to try new, different kinds of heaters and figure out what’s gonna work best in your space. You do not have to use just the heater that comes into your home because sometimes that’s not going to be the best one for your plants. There are also other energy-efficient heaters that are not going to suck up as much electricity for you but will still keep your home toasty. So definitely something to look at and explore your options. You don’t have to settle for what you already have.
Sphagnum Moss
Use sphagnum moss on top of your plants to prevent drying out and increase humidity. Just have it be slightly moist and wrung out then place it around the base of your plant. This will lock in moisture and as it dries out the moisture the moss contained makes a little more humidity around your plant for you.
When it dries you can get a spray bottle and just kind of spray the top of the moss and even if you have very stagnant air having that moss moist at the base of your plant is going to create kind of a humidity bubble without the added risk of rot and pests and diseases on the foliage of your plant. Be sure to check under the moss before watering though and make sure your soil is really dried out.
Clear Window Insulation
Another one that we wanted to talk about is clear window installation. Because you want the light to be coming in through the windows and just shine on your plants you don’t want to cover it with a heavy thermal curtain. Then you would not have light for your plants. It is tricky though because you also don’t want your plants to be getting super cold and you don’t want your electricity bills to be going sky high while you’re trying to keep all your plants safe.
Clear insulation is going to prevent the heat from going out very easily and it’s going to have a greenhouse effect on your plants where the sun’s going to come in and get trapped in there and make the house all nice and warm and toasty for you. Then your plants are not going to be cold with all of this heat going right out the window. Your home will still be nice and warm for you as well and it still lets all that wonderful light in so that your plants can continue to grow even in the Winter weather.
Grow Light
And speaking of light and not having much of it; in the Winter time grow lights are crucial. In most home environments especially in the Winter months, you will have times when you need some extra light in your home. There are lots of different types of grow lights. It does not have to be scary to buy grow lights. We have an entire beginner-friendly breakdown for you. So if this is your 1st year buying grow lights definitely take a look at that.
The Winter time doesn’t have to be scary or intimidating. You don’t have to lose a lot of your plants. A lot of your plants are not going to go dormant if you are able to keep all of these tips in mind. Definitely take a look at your home environment and the type of plants that you have.
Pick and choose these tools that are going to be able to help you in your specific situation. Everybody’s home environment is different. Everybody’s plants are different. Your care requirements and your routines are all going to be different. There is no one size fits for plant care and that is why we decided to give a whole variety of different tools for you.
So that way you know what is available out there and maybe one of these can help you a little bit. Hopefully, this can relieve some anxiety and some struggle and make you and your plants happier during this Winter season.
