Mmmm… The season has turned. Those rich colours in the leaves. *Sigh* so romantic. While outside becomes a gorgeous palette of deep maroon, burnt orange and cool red it’s time to focus on keeping inside our homes beautiful as we spend more time indoors.
Our lush planty-friends have been living the good summer/autumn life and they are crafty during this time. They lull us into this false sense of security. We water ’til our little hearts are content and fresh new shoots fill our plant-parent hearts with pride and a potentially unearned plant-rearing hubris.
Now the cooler weather approaches we must change our ways to ensure our plant babies survive to see another spring in our favourite Hello Lola pots!! Here are some things to consider to help your plants through winter.
Research your species & consider your location
How much light does it need and how cold can it handle? Some plants in warmer winters do beautifully moved onto a patio where they get some morning sun and it doesn’t get too cold overnight. If you need to keep them indoors move them near to a window that lets in some warmth and gets direct sunlight (not the plant though, it would invariably burn the leaves). Most indoor plant varieties suffer anywhere under 15⁰C. Also to consider is most don’t tolerate dry weather well as they are from tropical climates. Curling brown leaves are a sign of lack of humidity. Bathrooms that let in a lot of light are a good winter option for humidity and warmth.
Repotting
This is a tricky one. If you feel confident with your plants; that you’re meeting all their needs, then you can successfully repot during winter if absolutely necessary. That is, if your plant is root bound, in wet soil and suffering root rot or requires a different potting material to thrive. If your plant is generally happy and there is no need to repot then leave it until spring time. Remember plants like tight pants. Dont be too quick to size up your pots. We recommend potting into pots with drainage holes then sitting those inside a decorative pot.
(Don’t) Water
With reduced light comes reduced growth and less need for water. Less warmth also means your soil won’t dry out as quickly and plants very quickly succumb to root rot. Don’t fertilise and water sparingly. Ensure your pots are not sitting in water. Very few plants like wet feet but there are some exceptions such as ferns.
Hope these tips are helpful. I’m off to reposition my beloved Fiddle Leaf so that he has an uninterrupted view of the winter sunset.
Post written by Emma from Hello Lola
Catch Hello Lola this Saturday at Portside Wharf’s Plant and Flower Market, 10am – 2pm | 16th July
www.hellolola.com.au
@hellololastudio
