Winter means houseplant season. Our light-loving plants have been stuck in a reduced light situation for months now and may be being showing the effects. Hopefully, the following will help you keep your plants healthy.
Light is the most critical. I often read advice to put a plant on a south-facing windowsill. I don’t know about you, but of all my many plants, not one would fit on a narrow windowsill in any house built in the last century. So, improvise. Big containers can sit on the floor. Smaller ones also, if they are far enough away from the window and out of the shade produced by the wall between the window and the floor. Otherwise, they need something to elevate them to take advantage of the sun.
In a reduced light environment of a house, many plants start growing toward the light. This is called positive phototropism. I have a Norfolk Island pine that is showing every sign of negative phototropism by growing away from the window. However, it seems to like the direct sunlight because the needles are shiny and healthy looking. I could try moving it so it only gets indirect light, but turning it 180 degrees might straighten the central truck if it truly is negative phototropism at work. Regardless, turning all my plants 90 degrees every week or so would prevent any off-balance growth.
I’m sure you have figured out your plants need far less water when in the house. With reduced daylight comes reduced growth and less need for life-giving water, at least in the roots. Some plants suffer from a lack of humidity in the air, like people. Humidifiers work wonders. Pebble trays help. Misting helps, but is incredibly tedious. Moving plants to the bathroom, which has times of high humidity, works provided the light is sufficient.
One requirement houseplant growers rarely think about is clean leaves. Outside, the rain and wind remove any dust settling on the leaves. We take over that function in the house. Often, a brush with a feather duster works fine. Plants with wide, flat leaves may need an occasional wipe down with a damp cloth. There is always a quick spray in the shower, but that seems like overkill. Plants growing in the kitchen need closer monitoring because of the very fine grease mist if you do a lot of frying or sauteing.
Don’t worry if your plants lose some leaves in the house. First, like all living things, leaves don’t live forever. Also, plants will balance their leaf load with the available light by shedding leaves. Once the daylight hours start increasing and the sun gets stronger, the plants will stop dropping leaves and start growing new ones, usually around the end of February.
If you have a question about houseplants, call the Master Gardeners of Edgar County Extension at 217-465-8585, or email schiver@illinois.edu.
Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities. Illinois Extension is part of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.