How to Keep Houseplants Healthy in Winter

Winter is the toughest season for houseplants. The days are short, the light is weak, the heating dries the air, and cold draughts creep in around windows and doors.

The good news is that most houseplants come through winter happily with a few simple changes to how you care for them. In fact, the most common winter mistake isn't neglect. It's too much water.

Here's how to keep your houseplants healthy in winter.

1. Water Less

In winter, houseplants grow much more slowly and use far less water. Wet compost in a cool room is the main reason houseplants die over winter, as the roots sit wet and start to rot.

Before you water, push a finger into the compost. If it's still damp a little way down, wait. As a rough guide:

• ZZ plants, snake plants, aloe and echeveria store water in their leaves or roots. Let the compost dry right out between waterings, and keep echeveria almost dry all winter.
• Peperomia has fleshy leaves that hold water, so it's very easily overwatered.
• Peace lilies will tell you when they're thirsty. They wilt dramatically when dry, then perk up within hours of watering.

Always empty any water left standing in the saucer or outer pot after watering.

2. Give Them as Much Light as You Can

Winter light is weak, so move plants closer to a window, ideally within a metre or so of the glass. Give pots a quarter turn every week or two so they grow evenly.

Some houseplants cope well with lower light, including ZZ plants, snake plants, peace lilies, pothos, spider plants, Dracaena, philodendrons and parlour palms. Others need bright light to keep their colour. Croton's red and orange leaves fade to green in a dim spot, and the variegation on golden pothos fades too.

3. Keep Them Warm, but Away from Radiators

Most houseplants are happiest in a steady room temperature. As a rough guide to how cold they can go:

• Around 5°C minimum: spider plants, aloe, echeveria and the indoor spineless yucca are among the toughest.
• Around 10°C minimum: ZZ plants, snake plants, pothos, Dracaena, rubber plants, weeping figs, Schefflera, peperomia, Boston ferns and Croton.
• Around 12°C minimum: peace lilies, Monstera and indoor palms.
• Around 15°C minimum: prayer plants (Maranta), Calathea, philodendrons, Dieffenbachia, Alocasia and Clusia need a warm room all winter.

Keep plants away from radiators, which dry them out, and away from cold draughts from doors and windows. Don't leave plants trapped between closed curtains and a cold window overnight, where temperatures can drop sharply.

4. Avoid Moving Them About

Some houseplants hate change. Weeping figs (Ficus benjamina) drop a mass of leaves if they're moved, caught in a draught or watered irregularly, and Schefflera does the same if it's moved, chilled or left sitting wet. Find them a good spot and leave them there.

5. Help with Humidity

Central heating makes the air very dry. Boston ferns, prayer plants, Calathea, Alocasia and indoor palms all prefer more humid air, and brown leaf tips or edges are often a sign the air is too dry.

To help, group plants together, or stand them on a tray of damp pebbles, making sure the pot sits above the water rather than in it. A bright bathroom can be a good winter home for ferns.

6. Use Softer Water for Fussy Plants

Brown leaf tips on spider plants, Dracaena, palms, prayer plants and Calathea are often caused by the minerals in hard tap water. If you live in a hard water area, use rainwater or filtered water for these plants.

7. Stop Feeding Until Spring

Houseplants need little or no feed while they're growing slowly. Stop feeding in late autumn and start again in spring, when new growth appears. Winter is also not the time to repot, so leave that until spring too.

8. Keep the Leaves Clean

Dust on leaves blocks precious winter light. Wipe large leaves, such as those on a Monstera or rubber plant, with a soft, damp cloth every few weeks.

Don't Panic If...

• Your Alocasia drops its leaves. It often loses most of its foliage and goes dormant in winter. Water sparingly, keep it warm, and it should regrow in spring.
• Your peace lily flops. It's thirsty. Water it and it will recover within hours.
• Your staghorn fern's base fronds turn brown. The flat shield fronds at the base are meant to turn brown and papery. Don't pull them off.

A Note for Pet Owners

Many popular houseplants are harmful if eaten by cats and dogs, including peace lilies, pothos, ZZ plants, snake plants, Monstera and Dieffenbachia. Keep them out of reach of curious pets, especially trailing plants that hang down within easy reach.

Houseplants in Winter: Your Questions Answered

How often should I water houseplants in winter?

Much less often than in summer. Check the compost with your finger and only water when it's dry a little way down. For ZZ plants, snake plants and succulents, let it dry out completely.

Why are my houseplant's leaves going brown in winter?

The most common causes are dry air from central heating, cold draughts, or hard tap water. Move the plant away from radiators and draughts, raise the humidity, and use rainwater for fussy plants.

Which houseplants are easiest in winter?

ZZ plants, snake plants, peace lilies, pothos and spider plants are all forgiving, cope with lower light, and are hard to kill as long as you don't overwater them.

Should I feed houseplants in winter?

No. Stop feeding in late autumn and start again in spring when the plants start growing.

Bring Some Green Indoors

Winter is a lovely time to add more plants to your home, when the garden is quiet and the days are short. Browse our full range of houseplants, from easy-going ZZ plants and peace lilies to statement Monsteras and palms.

We pick every grower ourselves, and every plant is checked by hand before it's packed.