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How to Fix Common Winter Houseplant Problems

group of houseplants by the window Plant Perfect Garden Center

Even though our houseplants are indoors with us, theoretically protected from our brisk North Dakota winter, this dark and cold season can be hard on them. This is because the indoor climate of our homes changes in the wintertime in ways that are not ideal for many of our houseplants, which tend to be from tropical places. Thankfully, there are remedies for fixing common winter houseplant problems and ways to care effectively for indoor plants during winter.

Cold Drafts, Hot Drafts, and Extreme Temperature Changes

Once the temperature drops outside and our furnaces start kicking in, the indoor climate of our homes change completely. Parts of your house that are fine for indoor plants in the summer might no longer be okay. Here are the three temperature-related “climate change” problems to look for:

houseplant by front door inside

Cold drafts. Plants close to poorly insulated windows where cold is seeping in, could be suffering from cold drafts. If you have windows frosting up, for example, that’s a telltale sign you should move your plants as far away from those windows as you can. If the cold draft is not as severe and the windows aren’t frosting, you could try putting a heavy, insulating curtain or blanket between the plants and windows at night or simply moving the plants away from the windows at night.

Other locations in your home might have cold drafts too. Keep your houseplants away from spots like these:

    • Exterior doors (front door, back door, etc.) that let the outside cold burst in every time they open
    • Air conditioning vents
    • Cold, poorly insulated rooms
indoor plants by radiator Plant Perfect Garden Center

Hot drafts and extreme temperature changes. Blasts of hot air from our winter heating can be just as damaging as cold drafts. They can also cause extreme temperature changes when they kick in, which are dangerous for your tropical green friends. Keep your plants away from these heat blasters:

  • Fireplaces
  • Heat vents
  • Radiators
  • Space heaters
  • Wood-burning stoves

     

Symptoms of temperature problems: The symptoms of cold drafts, hot drafts, and extreme temperature changes are similar and can be any of these:

  • Wilting or drooping
  • Leaves that are not the color they’re supposed to: yellow, white, faded, or brown (especially leaves that turn brown quickly)
  • Leaves that look burned

Rule of green thumb on temperature: Most houseplants need at least 50°F to survive and between 60-75°F to thrive.

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Most houseplants prefer a relative humidity (RH) of 40-50%. In North Dakota, the winter RH in our homes drops as low as 5-10%!

Lack of Humidity (Dry Air)

Temperature isn’t the only thing that changes in our winter indoor climate. Another big change is the humidity level. When our heat blasters warm our homes up, they suck the moisture out of the air. If your plants are looking a little rough and you’ve got your temperature situation under control, dry air could be the culprit.

Here are 9 ways to raise humidity for your plants. Your plants will like these methods, and you will too, as humans tend to function better in higher humidity as well.

Symptoms of low-humidity problems: 

Rule of green thumb on humidity: Most houseplants prefer a relative humidity (RH) of 40-50%. In North Dakota, the winter RH in our homes drops as low as 5-10%!

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Less Sunlight

In the darkest winter months, we get as little as eight hours of sunlight a day. The quality of sunlight changes too because the sun no longer rises high in the sky. You may need to make some changes to ensure your plants get enough light. Fortunately, you have lots of options for increasing light for indoor plants in winter despite the lack of sunlight.

Natural light solutions. If you have well-insulated windows that won’t harm your plants with cold drafts, move your plants closer to them. Clean the windows, so they let the most light in possible, and give your plants a shower so their leaves aren’t dusty and are able to absorb light at their maximum capacity. Also, the sunniest windows in winter are the ones that face south or west, so these are the places where you should put your plants with the highest light needs.

Artificial light solutions. If you don’t have the types of windows that will give you access to enough winter sunlight, invest in some grow lights. These lights cost well below $50 and are as simple as a lightbulb that will fit into one of your regular fixtures or lamps. Or, you can buy something more elaborate. Either way, grow lights will meet the sunlight needs of your plants. Even some LED and fluorescent lights will help to meet the light needs of your plants, although grow lights are best.

Symptoms of lack-of-sunlight problems:

  • Thin, straggly growth: the plant is growing long stems with leaves far apart
  • Brown edges or tips on leaves
  • The soil takes a long time—weeks, even—to dry out (sometimes when a plant doesn’t get enough light, it’s not able to perform enough photosynthesis to draw the water up with its roots)

Rule of green thumb on light: Each houseplant has specific light requirements. The first step in solving any plant’s light problems is checking on what kind of light exposure the plant needs.

Recap: What Do You Do With Indoor Plants in the Winter?

If you protect your indoor plants from drafts and extreme temperature changes, raise your humidity, and ensure you meet their unique light needs, chances are high they will have a healthy winter. They will also be better equipped to resist other problems like winter pest infestations. Feeling confident about nurturing your houseplants through the winter now? Good! Maybe it’s time to pick up another one then…