Friday, November 13, 2009 8:56 PM CST
Yard and Garden: Tips for care of house plants during winter
By Kathy Hummel, Master Gardener
It’s that time of year again: When I berate myself for having so many plants. We have a lovely deck and stream area that accommodate dozens and dozens of plants during three seasons of the year.
I enjoy propagating plants from seeds and cuttings, and luxuriating in the riot of blossoms from my “free” plants. But come late fall, I’m forced to pay for my sins of accumulation. And I can’t be a murderess and toss them. Aargh! Where can I put them all?!
The wave petunias, begonias, geraniums and some of the ferns get a buzzcut and move into our garage, which doesn’t fall below freezing. Others receive a spritzing of insecticidal soap (available from any plant center or use diluted baby shampoo), then migrate indoors to south-facing windows. Those babies are the focus of this article.
Thank you to University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator Sharon Yiesla for providing information about water, fertilizing, light, humidity and temperature in caring for house plants.
“There is no magic formula or timetable for watering house plants,” she says. “Since temperatures, light and humidity tend to change; it is not practical to water house plants on a set schedule. The best way to tell if a plant needs water is to feel the soil.”
Note: if you see tiny insects flying around the plant, they are probably fungus gnats, which means you are watering too much. When the top inch of soil is dry, it is time to water. The gnat eggs can’t live in dry soil. Another remedy is to put a half-inch of sand on top of the soil. The sand dries out faster, desiccating the gnat eggs.
Top watering and bottom watering are both acceptable methods. With bottom watering, salts may accumulate in the soil and need to be flushed out from the top periodically.
When watering from the top, apply water until it comes out the drainage hole. Let the plant sit in the water in the saucer about 15 minutes, then drain off the excess water. I keep water in gallon jugs to allow the chlorine to evaporate. (We discovered a side benefit of this when a water main broke and we were without water for a day.)
Several types of fertilizer are specially formulated for house plants.
“Most house plants do not need much fertilizer,” Yiesla says. “The best time to fertilize is when the plant is actively growing. During the winter, house plants do not grow much, so should not be fertilized. As the days grow longer, growth resumes and fertilizer may be applied. Follow the directions on the fertilizer package.
“Light is a limiting factor in growing house plants. The formerly lush plants on our deck become spindly during the winter. Most house plants grow best in bright, indirect light in south-facing windows.
“Plants receiving too little light may have stretched or leggy growth, abnormally small leaves, or a yellowish-green color. Flowering plants may not flower when light levels are too low. Plants with variegated leaves may revert back to all green leaves under low-light conditions.
Most house plants prefer humidity levels between 40 and 60 percent. Our furnaces lower humidity levels.
“However, there are ways to increase humidity around plants,” she says. “A room humidifier would provide increased humidity for the entire room, making it more comfortable for plants and people alike.” (Be aware, though, that humidifiers need to be cleaned often to prevent bacterial growth.)
In addition, grouping plants together helps raise humidity in the vicinity of the plants. Plants give off moisture through their leaves. Grouping the plants allows them to benefit from this evaporation.
To increase humidity even more, place the plants on a tray filled with pebbles or gravel. Keep the pebbles moist. The evaporation raises humidity. The level of water on the tray should be below the pot level, so that the plant does not receive excess water.
To reduce the population of microscopic beasties, I also flush the pebble trays several times a winter. Misting by hand produces only a small, short-lived amount of humidity, but if it satisfies a need for you, go right ahead.
“As a rule of thumb, foliage plants prefer temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees F and 55-60 degrees F at night. Higher temperatures can be detrimental to house plants,” Yiesla says.
So lower your temperature, save on your heating bill, reduce those annoying static electricity shocks and make your plants comfy all at the same time.
Master gardener training
It’s the time of year to consider becoming a master gardener. The master gardeners are a great bunch of helpful, caring people to hang out with, and we have many interesting projects to work on, such as Junior Master Gardeners, plant sales, the Idea Garden and Plant a Row at SBLHC.
You have just more than a week to turn in your application, which is due Nov. 25. If you love working with plants, consider applying. You’ll be glad you did!
Look on the wonderful Extension Web site for lots of master gardener info, as well as an application form. Contact info is below.
This column is based on information and materials at the University of Illinois Extension office, located at 707 Windsor Road, Suite A., Charleston, 61920; phone 345-7034; or Web site: www.extension.uiuc.edu/coles/. If you have any horticulture questions, call the Extension office Monday through Friday at 345-7034. Volunteer master gardeners are not in the office this time of year — they will return your call.
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