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Maintaining houseplants during the winter
Houseplants are an evil temptress. We really want them, but they cause so much work and headache. They relish proper care, but scorn them for just a bit, and they respond drastically. Of course, you could argue they respond sometimes to the point that they cut off their nose to spite their face.
Maintaining attractive houseplants during winter months can be a challenge. That's why over the past ten years I've gone from an in-home jungle to about five plants, all but one not requiring that much effort. And no, none are artificial. That's sacrilege.
Actually, I don't count the ferns and orchids. They're located in the bathroom, and get their needs fulfilled anytime someone takes a shower. They are green, lush and doing fine, especially if I remember to fertilize them every now and then. That, in turn, turns the tub blue, but that's why Soft-Scrub was invented.
Most houseplants are tropical in nature, and therein lies a problem. We don't have tropical conditions during the winter. Maybe during the summer when the humidity is high (unless we keep the air conditioner running), but not in the winter. Forced-air heat dries out the air-reducing humidity. Even if you add a humidifier, you still aren't giving the plants enough. That's where the bathroom and the shower window come in.
The major plant response to low humidity can be best described by the word "blah." It just kind of sits there. The leaf margins may start to yellow and turn brown. Some leaves may drop off altogether, usually starting at the bottom of the plant. The plant doesn't have that Meg Ryan perkiness.
This really isn't an overnight occurrence. It probably started when the furnace kicked on. But as the winter progressed, those ferns dropped more and more leaves.
On the other hand, though, plants are somewhat like a grizzly bear. Yes, African violets are furry, but that's not where I was going. Plants realize conditions aren't quite right and start to shut down. This dormancy may result in the loss of some leaves, which you've come to expect. There's that overall general lethargic appearance, sort of like many people sitting in front of the television on Sunday afternoons. Well, enough of all the analogies. What can be done? I wish I had a penny for every misting bottle sold to supposedly make the humidity better for the plant. Take a bottle of perfume or cologne and spray it in one corner of a room. Stand in the other. Eventually you'll smell the aroma. Think of coffee, frying bacon, the Thanksgiving turkey.
Water is the same. Droplets will dissipate throughout the room. They won't hang suspended over the plant. Research has shown that you really need to squirt the air about every 30 seconds to accomplish anything. Don't think larger droplets are the trick. They'll just fall on the leaves and increase the chance of leaf spots or a bacterial disease.
Humidifiers and cool-water vaporizers are the best alternative. The trick is to regulate the humidity level enough that it helps the plants but doesn't fog up the windows and cause mold to start growing on the window frame. If you can just maintain a status quo, that may be enough.
Group plants together. Just like huddling cats during the winter, plants placed side by side will help each other. Of course, this is also a great way to share insect problems.
Another method is to set plants on a tray filled with pebbles. The tray is then filled with water to just below the bottom of the pot. As the water evaporates it creates a mini-humidity chamber. Food service trays work well but you didn't read that here.
Since many of the plants are in a dormant state, don't force them to grow. You wouldn't go in and poke a sleeping bear, would you? Keep that bottle of fertilizer in the closet until next spring. Reduce watering to the point right before plants wilt. Never ever let water sit in the saucer for longer than 10 minutes. Water will evaporate. It will also rot roots.
Obviously, don't put plants directly in the path of hot air. Well, maybe the human type is okay. At least it's moist air.
David Robson, extension educator, horticulture - e-mail: Robsond@mail.aces.uiuc.edu or SOLUTIONS www.ag.uiuc.edu/~robsond/solutions
David Robson is an Extension Educator, Horticulture, at
the Springfield Extension Center, University of Illinois Extension. You can write to Robson in care of Illinois Country Living, P.O. Box 3787, Springfield, IL 62708. 16 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING JANUARY 2001 |
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