Caring for tropical plants in the winter can be challenging if you don’t understand how your home changes during the winter. Tropical houseplants can survive the winter if you give them what they need. Tropical plant have one thing in common. All require high humidity levels. This is where winter shelters and tropical plants have problems. The average home in the US (including Florida) uses winter heat. This results in a dramatic decrease in humidity levels. Tropical plants need moisture. Fortunately, there is an easy way to give your plants the moisture they need and as a bonus it will be more pleasant for you. Place the barrel water near the heater. Add humidity to the air. If you are using a burning stove or similar device, place a pot of water on the stove or stove This is another way to increase humidity levels. Place tropical plants in a gravel tank filled with water. Doing so will create a humid climate. Finally, mist your plants daily. You can do this with an inexpensive spray bottle. Gently mist the tropical plants once a day.
Another problem with caring for tropical plants in winter is sunlight. It’s too cold to put them outside. When low light levels become a problem for your tropical plants, give them the sunlight they need with plant lights. Fluorescent plant lights work best and provide the best light. Keep these lights close to your plants for optimal benefit. The plant light should be about 12 inches from your plants. When you increase the distance between tropical plants and the source of water, you lose a lot of good.
Many tropical plants are actually dormant or dormant during the winter. Orchids are normally out of bloom and need the rest of the season. This is easy to do. If you have a tropical plant that requires a period of rest, plant it in a low angle and water just enough to keep the soil barely moist, allowing it to dry completely between waterings. After a month, bring it back to ideal conditions.
Some tropical plants thrive in winter. Amaryllis is one such. This is a tropical bulb that blooms beautifully throughout the winter. After the grass blooms it rests. The leaves are cut off at the top of the plant when they turn yellow. remove the bulb from the planter, place it in a net bag with twigs of wood, place it in a cooling base or a rodent-free shed or garage, and Then it must be returned.
Here are the basic tools all tropical plants need to thrive in winter. Blooming plant lights, a spray bottle, thin plastic plates with decorative pebbles, a sharp sickle, and new pots and soilpotting. /a>.
Winter is the perfect time to store plants. All tropical houseplants should be repotted every two years. Here’s how to do it. With moist soil, in your hand if small, or on its side for large plants, turn the pot upside down. Run a sharp pruning knife around the edge of the pot and the plant will slip out. Hold the plant over a bin or newspaper and shake or brush off any excess soil. Remove all dead and rotten roots. Trim the roots by ¼. Place the plant in a new pot and add new soil, making sure to fill in all the roots. Water well and add more soil so that the plant sits at the same level in the pot as it was planted before. It is very important to take care of those tropical plants in winter. Repotting in winter when their growth is slower will help reduce stress. This is also a good time to remove all dead, dying and diseased leaves.
Pruning is an important part of winter for your tropical plants. All tropical bonsai plants should be pruned back. Large plants such as figs will be considered. The lemon will also need pruning. For optimal growth, prune back by 1/3 each year, removing the oldest growth first. Banana plants should remove all damaged leaves.
Winter care of tropical plants includes checking all plants for insect damage. If you see signs of whitefly, thrips, mites or other pests now is the time to eradicate the problem. You can use a commercial product for this or you can simply make your own. In a six-liter sprayer, use 1 teaspoon of soap (not antibacterial), a teaspoon of rubbing alcohol, and fill to the top with water. Mix well. Spray this on your plants once a week until you see no signs of insects.
In short, he caught diseases. Any sign of fungus or rust can be controlled by mixing baking soda with a quart of water. Spray this on the affected areas. Wait one week and shower again. This should take care of most of the problems.
All gardeners should know how to care for tropical plants in winter. Following the directions above will help you enjoy your plants for many seasons to come.
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