Care Tips During Dormancy
It's natural for some plants to go dormant in the winter. That doesn't mean they will stop growing, but growth will decline during these cold months. Read here for more tips and information about how your will plant will survive during the dormant winter months.
Plants 101
Winter is Coming
Your guide to keeping your plant alive during the winter months
Winter is coming and so is the dormancy stage for most plants. With fewer hours of sunlight, changing temperatures, and less humidity, it becomes a difficult time of year for plants to thrive. The majority of plants go dormant in the winter as a period of rest that is crucial for plants to start regrowing in the Spring. Don’t worry, going dormant isn’t a bad thing and is just part of the life cycle of some plants. With the dormant stage right around the corner, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.
Plants That Typically Go Dormant
Alocasia
Pothos Marble Queen
Calathea Beauty Star
Aglaonema Chinese Evergreen
Ficus Lyrata
Monstera Deliciosa
Care Tips During Dormancy
Don’t water your plants as you regularly would during the growing season. You’ll want to cut back on your watering schedule and you can resume back to normal once the weather warms up. Be mindful of water temperature - Make sure you’re using room temp or warm water as this will help keep your plants warm. You’ll want to steer clear from using water that’s too cold.
Keep the environment warm, humid, and in bright, indirect sunlight. Be careful with placement too close to windows because if you’re in an area with extreme temperatures, being by a window can be very cold. Additionally, this is the time of year when the sun sets earlier and it’s dark for longer periods of time. Light is so important for plants, so make sure they’re getting plenty of sunlight during this time! If you live somewhere that gets extremely cold, this may be a good time to invest in a grow light.
With most people running the heat during the winter, you'll want to avoid placing your plants directly under or near an air vent as that can dry out the plant rather quickly.
It's Okay To Not Water!
Dormancy doesn’t necessarily mean your plant will look dead and dry. Depending on where you live, some plants may be completely fine but just have less growth during the winter. You may notice leaves are dropping or no new growth. With tropical indoor houseplants, they won’t always go dormant if you keep consistent conditions all year round. For plants that you keep outside, they’ll adjust and adapt to the outdoor weather conditions. No new growth during this time is a sign that they’re trying to conserve energy for the Spring.
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