Don’t forget to show your houseplants some love. Here are some easy tips from The Sill experts to keep your potted besties fresh all season long.
Tip 1: Increase Light
If it feels like we rarely see the sun in the winter, that’s because it sets earlier, is lower in the sky, and is often covered with clouds. Make sure your houseplants are getting enough light during this time. Most plants will adjust to the seasonal change in their current spot, while others might need to be moved closer to their light source to receive more light. If plants are visibly leaning towards the window, gradually rotate them every few days to help them straighten out. If plants have spindly new growth, move them closer to the sill. You can also consider adding supplemental lighting to your space with a grow light.
Tip 2: Be Mindful of Temperature
An extreme change in temperature, or draft of cold or warm air, can cause indoor plants to stress out. Keep your plants away from open windows and front doors, as well as heating units and radiators (which can quickly dry them out). Some plants are more sensitive to the cold than others but if you’re feeling the chill, chances are, your plants are too. Most common varieties of houseplants prefer temps around 75°F.
Tip 3: Embrace Dormancy
Feel sleepy in winter? Plants do too—thanks to shorter days and less sun. Many plants even go into a state of dormancy or semi-dormancy in the winter months. And since plants only take up water based on the amount of light they receive, this will change how much you should water your plants. You will find yourself watering less often than you did in the spring/summer growing season. For most plants, you will want to wait until the potting soil has dried out completely before watering again. You can also wait for visible signs of thirst to show, like wrinkling leaves for succulents or drooping stems for tropicals, paired with dry soil.
Tip 4: Dust Off Leaves
Closed windows during the cold winter months can increase dust and indoor pollution. When dust and dirt build up on your plant’s leaves, it can reduce the amount of light getting to your houseplants. Considering how short the days are—it is even more important than usual that your plants get as much light as possible. Help by gently dusting off leaves every few weeks with a soft, damp cloth. You can also add a drop or two of lemon juice or household soap.
Tip 5: Forgo Fertilizer
Because your plants are doing everything at a much slower pace in the winter, they won’t benefit at this time from the added nutrients fertilizer provides. Give your plants a break until springtime. If you’re actively growing a specific plant and providing it ample light, you can fertilize your plant at half-strength or less.
Tip 6: Vacation with Ease
If you’re heading out of town this winter to see family and friends, or spend a few days somewhere warm and sunny, we have some tips for how to keep your plants alive while you’re away. A plant sitter is always a good option, but you can also move your plants a little further from their light source after a thorough watering—temporary light deficiency will cause the plant to use less water and prevent them from drying out. Just keep in mind how long you’ll be away as indoor plants require less care in the winter anyway. Heading out for a week or less? Your plants should get along fine without any extra prep.
Tip 7: Accept Leaf Loss
Houseplants can naturally drop some of their leaves in the fall and winter to compensate for the lack of light and in turn, the lack of food. If your plant grew in the warmer months but now looks like it’s doing the opposite, don’t worry. It’s just adjusting to the changes in seasons. If your plant is overgrown, feel free to trim off a few older leaves, as this can help prevent further leaf loss. Plus it keeps your plant looking fuller and bushier.
About The Sill
Now open in Bethesda, MD
The Sill was founded on this simple premise—plants make us happier, healthier humans.
I started The Sill in 2012 at the age of 26 in borrowed office space in a tiny walk-up in New York City’s Chinatown. The idea had sprouted years before (sorry, we love a good plant pun around here) when I found myself in my first adult apartment. Bleak is how you’d describe it. Homesick is how you’d describe me. My Mom, an immigrant who stayed connected to her Filipino roots through gardening, recommended I get some houseplants. Little did I know tapping into my family’s generational love of plants would grow into the small but mighty company that is The Sill.
I instantly became passionate about plants, and keenly aware of the impact being around plants had on me growing up. There’s something in the simple act of being around and caring for plants that improves our mood, and, added bonus, beautifies the spaces we live and work in. It’s been shown every exposure to nature—from indoor gardening to forest bathing—mitigates the modern condition, that stressed-out state we find ourselves in all too often. That (plus a lot of dirt, sweat, and hustle) is how The Sill came to be.
So I invite you to join me—whether you’ve never had a plant before or are adding to a budding collection—in cultivating a space, and a life, with plants. I know firsthand how wonderful it can be.
Keep growing,
– Eliza & The Sill team
