Temperatures are dropping, it’s getting darker sooner, and election season is over. Enter: Indoor plants.
Why Get House Plants This Time of Year?
Not only do indoor plants brighten up winters, but they are also great air purifiers in the cold months when windows are closed and heaters are on, especially snake plants. Plants can also help brighten dreary moods winter tends to bring on, said Charlie Hall, a professor in the Texas A&M Department of Horticultural Sciences.
“It’s amazing that just having plants in your home can have such a measurable impact on stress reduction,” Hall said.
What Are Some Common Mistakes People Make?
Adjust how much you water in the winter: Plants need less water because they’re getting less light, according to Texas A&M Agrilife Extension.
And if one of your plants is really happy, find similar ones in that plant family since you’ve learned how to take care of it.
Which House Plants Should You Get?
For Low-Maintenance Plant Owners
- Succulents are resilient and can take a lot of neglect before it shows.
- Hoya, or vining plants, have succulent characteristics and come in different shapes and sizes.
For Homes That Don’t Get Much Sun
- Snake plants, which require minimal care, come in different colors and shapes.
- ZZ plants are also tolerant of low lighting, so you can put them in further away corners of living rooms.
- Cast iron plants can handle a lot of shade.
- Texas A&M Agrilife Extension officials also recommend utilizing grow lights this time of year.
For Pet Owners
- Pilea and peperomia variety plants tend to be more compact and firm, and have leaves that don’t flicker (or resemble cat toys).
When Should You Say Goodbye to a Plant?
If you take the roots out of the pot and see they are all squishy and slimy, they are dead, and it’s time to cut them off. If you cut off most of it, and the root ball is brown and squishy, the plant is ready to be composted.
But don’t be too quick to dump a droopy plant – plants are resilient and they can still provide all kinds of benefits no matter how long they last.
