I’m Angela Dobson and I am the founder of Green & Wild, an online boutique home to a range of plants and plant accessories. I myself have gone from one of those people who ‘can’t keep a plant alive’ to curating my own collection, so I’m a reformed plant killer myself and love sharing my top tips!
Image courtesy of Green & Wild
Houseplants are a great, cost effective way to create a calming and tranquil sanctuary in your home this winter. Caring for a living plant provides a positive focus and helps to release happy hormones endorphins, reducing stress and anxiety.
In addition to the mental health benefits, plants are also great air-purifiers, so they help to keep your home a healthy space. Of course, this is extra important at the moment due to so many of us spending more time than ever at home during lockdown.
Many people don’t realise that during winter our houseplants are dormant, taking a little rest. This is because it’s colder, the air is drier and there are less hours of sunlight, so the conditions for growth are much reduced. As a result, they don’t need as much watering or feeding as they do during the growth season.
This means the common cause of them dying during the winter is actually from overwatering, as plant owners tend to continue to water their plants as they would during the spring and forget to change their plant tending habits to adjust for seasonal differences.
So, here are some of my top tips to turn any notorious plant killer into a perfect plant parent this winter!
1. Reduce watering to avoid root rot but increase humidity by misting plants or placing in a bathroom
2. Most plants are sensitive to cold, so move them away from any draughts
3. Increase the light source to compensate for the shorter days, moving plants nearer to a window that is south or west facing
4. Do your research if buying new plants and invest in something hardy like the Green & Wild Super Succulents Set, which includes three basically unkillable plants that can even go up to 30 days without watering
5. Plants can get dustier during the winter so clean the leaves with lukewarm water to help increase the amount of light they get
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Tagged in Mental Health winter