Well, winter is underway for us here on the prairies and now we are huddled up indoors with as many pants as we can possibly keep in our home over winter. Oh wait, is that just me? Our love of plants is not an accident. Plants make the air we breathe and we provide them with the carbon we exhale; it is a win-win relationship!
Tropical plants that you have had outside all summer will have a transition time now that they are indoors. Here are a few tips to help your tropical plants over winter.
First, if the tropical plant was outside all summer it may have little hitchhikers (bug pests) that were not a problem outside, but now that they are indoors with no natural predators, no wind or rain, they can get out of hand quickly. Here are some solutions:
First: place your tropical plant in the bathtub and give it a shower! That’s right, a shower! This will immediately reduce the number of little invaders and you can now (while in the tub) give your plant a spray with Insecticidal soap or Endall. These products are NOT made from dish soap. They are made from the fatty acid of soap (big difference). Let your tropical plant stay in the tub over night to drip dry.
Second: Placement in your home. Bright light for sun loving plants is about 6 hours; if that is not possible, the good news is you can use artificial light. It doesn’t need to be fancy lighting; it just needs to be full spectrum lighting (check your local lighting supply store for advice on the best artificial light).
Third: fertilize your tropical plant year-round. Tropicals do not have a true dormancy period, but they do grow very slowly in the winter. Use an all-purpose fertilizer half-strength in the winter or use tropical specific fertilizer as directed. Winter for Tropicals is from November to February. The rest of the year fertilize regularly according to the product instructions.
Finally: keep your tropical plants away from drafts (heat or cold). These plants will also benefit from being misted (or a full-on shower) monthly. This will keep them hydrated and hopefully pest free.
Until next time, have a great winter season.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
