Indoor Plants and Heating 

'Is Winter Too Hot for Your Indoor Plants?' might seem to be a ‘silly question’ but what do you do in winter to keep your house warm? You turn on the heating or light the log burner or open fire. Not only does this heat your house it also dries it out. If you have house plants, which are often from semi-tropical climates, the hot dry conditions in a heated house might give the plants heat stress.

It is also often the case that the heating is turned off during the day when you are at work and on again when you return. Thus, the fluctuating temperature and humidity can further stress the house plants at a time when they may also be suffering from reduced light levels.

So, for most house plant over the cooler (or hotter?) winter months:

• Move your indoor plants away from windows where they might get a cold draught.
• Move your plants away from the heaters and log burners where they might get scorched.
• Place your indoor plants in bright positions away from draughts and heat sources.
• Regularly mist the foliage of your indoor plants with Gro-Sure Houseplant Mist'n'Feed or Orchid Mist'n'Feed.
• Water a little and often; don’t let them sit in a puddle of water but don’t let the potting soil dry completely, it is OK if it is dry on top.
• It is unlikely that you will need to fertilise your indoor plants in winter; they will be in a dormant state.
• Wait until spring to re-pot your indoor plants with Gro-Sure Houseplant Potting Mix; this is when they will give you a surge of new growth including roots spread into the new media.

There are some house plants, such as cyclamen, that do 'their thing' in winter and need to be watered and fertilised, but even these will thank you for keeping them out of draughts and intense heat.

David Brittain
Kiwicare