A cozy house cannot be imagined without islands of greenery in it. From a huge variety, you can choose decorative foliage, flowering or with a special aroma of flowers. And, of course, any housewife wants to know how to care for plants: indoor or garden. After all, it is proper care during the year that allows you to enjoy their beauty. A special place in this matter is given to the holding of such events in the winter, since this period is a combination of not always favorable conditions that may affect the indoor plant in the best way.
What happens to indoor plants in winter
Summer, regardless of whether it was warm or not, is still the best period in the life of indoor plants. Firstly, they do not lack lighting. Since sunlight is the brightest in summer. Secondly, streams of fresh air penetrating through open windows contribute to better gas exchange in flowers, which means their rapid growth, development and abundant flowering. Everyone knows how to care for indoor plants during this period. Timely watering, top dressing and transplanting - that's all that flowers may require in the summer.
What happens to the environment around indoor plants with the onset of winter? Firstly, little light penetrates through the window frames. Secondly, the air in the room is heated by heating devices and becomes drier. And thirdly, different types of indoor plants survive the winter differently: some go to retire, while others bloom in lush color. All these features are important to consider, so that the green pets in the house do not become smaller.
Indoor plants blooming in summer (azalea): how to care for in winter
Consider the example of azaleas blooming in the summer, what is the care of the plant in winter. Like most other summer flowers, azalea in winter is resting and gaining strength. Therefore, in this period it is important to place the pot with it in a cool room where the temperature does not rise above 16 degrees. Light falling on azalea, geranium and balsam should be diffused, but at the same time sufficiently bright. Daylight hours must be extended using special lamps. This will contribute to the fact that a lot of buds will appear on the stems, which with the onset of spring will turn into young shoots. Some colors, such as begonia, philodendron and monstera, do not require additional lighting, so you can put them near the windows.
In addition to lighting and humidity, do not forget about the cleanliness of leaf blades. To get rid of dust flowers with smooth leathery leaves, you can give them a shower. But violets and other flowers with pubescent velvety leaves can be freed from dust with a brush or a damp cloth, as drops of water can provoke the appearance of unsightly spots on them.
Watering and feeding summer flowering plants
Is it worth feeding and watering indoor plants in the winter? How to care for them for magnificent flowering in the coming season? It is worth remembering that in winter feeding plants such as azalea, geranium, cissus, alocasia and other species that bloom in summer are not required. Moreover, it can harm them. Watering must also be limited. Of course, do not overdry the earthen lump, this can lead to the death of the green pet. The best solution is to pour warm water once a week, after which it is important to remove all the liquid from the sump. Azalea, oleander and cyclamen are plants that cannot tolerate dry air, so you need to constantly moisten the atmosphere around them. An ordinary sprayer, nearby water dishes or a humidifier are suitable.
Indoor plants blooming in winter (Anthurium): how to care
The special pride of any housewife is the abundant flowering of indoor plants in winter, when a snowstorm sweeps outside. During this period, it is important to give them special attention. Diplomadia, anthurium and poinsettia, for example, bloom in winter. Very often this does not happen, and then the question arises of how to care for indoor plants of this group correctly? The fact is that they stimulate flowering by reducing daylight hours. There is even such a thing as poinsettia blooming in the summer, known as the “Christmas star”. To achieve this, you just need to place the flower in a closet or other dark place and only get it out for a couple of hours a day. This is exactly what happens with the “winter” flower anthurium. It also blooms only with a short period of lighting.
To avoid the death of flowering indoor plants in winter, it is important not to place them near heating appliances. Since this can deplete them due to overheating of leaf blades and roots, if the pot is placed directly on the batteries or on the windowsill located above them. In order to avoid sudden changes in temperature, you can place pots with these colors on supports made of polystyrene foam or any other insulating material, as well as more often humidify the air in the room. A regular procedure for winter-flowering indoor plants should be cleaning them from dust with a shower or a damp cloth.
How to water and feed plants blooming in winter
Since flowering takes a lot of energy, it is important to remember how to care for indoor plants during this period. It is important not to forget to water in time, because the splendor of blooming buds depends on the amount of moisture. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the water in the pan does not stagnate, as this can lead to acidification of the soil and rotting of the roots. As fertilizers, you can use ready-made mixtures for plants blooming in winter, applying them strictly according to the instructions.
Special attention to succulents
Cacti (succulents) of various types and flowering periods in winter also need a special attitude towards themselves. How to care for indoor plants of this type in the cold season? Firstly, it’s worth placing them directly on the window, closer to the glass. Under such conditions, prickly or hairy plants will feel great. They need to be watered very rarely, about once a month, and top dressing should be excluded altogether.