Brighten Your Home For Winter

At this time of year it can seem like those cartoons when the “night curtain” comes crashing down, in a literal picture of night falling. Just yesterday we were enjoying how it stayed light past eight o’clock, and now it’s dark by six. And the end of daylight savings time on Nov. 2 will bring an even greater fall back to shorter days. So it’s with pleasure that we can turn our attention to displays of indoor plants, and thankfully there are many that bring color and brightness to our interiors.

Tradescantia

Aglaonema

Golden Philodendron

Popular Pothos

Hoya

Display them on tables, pot stands or in hanging baskets.

Just make sure that you have a saucer under each plant. A saucer allows you to water a plant well, but catches the excess so that your floor doesn’t flood. You can leave an inch or so of water in a saucer for a few hours or overnight without fear, but if it’s still filled with water the next day, soak it up with an old terry towel. The biggest cause of death or failure to thrive in houseplants is too little water since many people are afraid of over-watering their plants. When watering indoor plants, think “a really good rainfall” that soaks the entire root ball. After that, most plants will go for five or six days without water before you have to soak them again. A deep soaking less often is better than a more frequent dash of less water.

Tending to Indoor Plants Helps Our Mood

Many people are affected by the shorter days and longer nights at this time of year, but tending to your plants can help. This is a good time of year to remove dead or declining leaves or give a plant a new pot. With the exception of citrus plants, we don’t fertilize since plants are going into their winter resting season, but a quarter cup of earthworm castings on the top of the potting soil can help keep that growing mix alive for your plants.