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Five key factors that affect your pot plants in winter
Winter has an effect not only pot plants outdoors, but also
indoors. Find out what are the key factors that affect your
plants in winter and what you can do to help them stay healthy
at this time of the year.
1. LIGHT is the very first element to consider. In winter, when
the light is not so strong, you can place your plants closer to
the windows, and rotate them regularly so all the leaves receive
enough light.
Choose the most appropriate location taking into account the
following window orientations:
-North: it doesn't receive direct sunlight, but it is a good
source of light for your plants. Most convenient in summer.
-South: it receives the most sunlight. Very convenient in winter.
-East: it allows early sunlight, which is very important for an
excellent growing of your plants.
-West: it receives much sunlight, but its convenience depends on
the amount of light the plant can receive.
2. TEMPERATURE is another key factor to consider because in
winter we increase the temperature of the room via heaters,
fireplaces and other heating devices. Plants suffer many times
because of this, and we do not realize.
When the temperature of the room increases, the water of your
plants evaporates quickly, and so it may be necessary to
increase the amount of water they receive. As always, the exact
amount of water will depend on the type of plant you have.
A solution to this is to place containers with water close to
the plants. The leaves will absorb the water by transpiration,
in a natural way.
And a quick reminder: although plants show beautifully when
displayed on mantelpieces, remember to remove them before
starting a fire, as the excess of heat could kill them.
3. WATERING your plants in winter is important for the reason
told above. To water your plants properly, do so with
abundant
water fewer times, rather than with less water and very often.
The reason for this is because the water needs to reach all the
roots of the plant, including the deepest ones. When you use
abundant water, the plant does not need more water for a while,
so you can space the watering.
If not watered properly, the plant may die, even though the
surface of the soil may appear wet.
4. VENTILATION is a key factor since some indoor plants need
air moving around them occasionally, so their stems and leaves
can gain in strength.
Although they do not need a continuous flow of air, the truth is
that they get exactly what they need under "friendly" weather
conditions, that is early autumn, spring or summer, when we
naturally open doors and windows and allow breeze to flow.
But in winter we keep windows closed for longer periods of time,
therefore preventing air flows. Again you should ensure that
your specific plant is receptive to air flows (not all indoor
plants are).
5. Some plants may undergo a period of HIBERNATION during
winter. Hibernation is just a natural mechanism of the plants to
protect themselves of adverse weather conditions.
During this "sleeping period" the plant may stop growing or even
appear weak and loose their leaves. Consequently, the owner
believes (wrongly) that the plant is dying or dead and ends up
throwing it away.
The thing is, while plants hibernate, they don't need so much
water nor fertilizer. If you doubt whether your plant is
hibernating or actually dead, just leave it where it is and
water it occasionally, and you might just see it alive again in
spring.
About the author:
Cristina Diaz Garcia is the Author and Founder of the "Beautiful
Gardens Email Club". Visit her page for an useful Pot Gardening
free report at
http://www.soapystuff.com/free-garden-reports.html
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