Helping plants through the dark months
Most houseplants slow right down in winter. The kindest thing you can do is do less.
As the light drops, growth pauses, and the care that kept a plant thriving in summer can start to drown it. A few small changes carry most plants through.
Water less
Cooler, darker rooms mean soil stays wet for longer. Let the top of the soil dry out more than you would in summer, and always check with a finger before watering.
Ease off the food
There is little point feeding a plant that is not growing. Stop or slow your feeding through the darkest months and pick it back up in spring.
Mind the cold and the radiators
Keep plants off cold windowsills at night and away from the dry heat of a radiator. Both stress a plant faster than a missed watering.
The five plants we recommend most
If you are starting out, or starting over, these are the five that earn their place in almost any room.
Read the noteReading the light in your home
The single biggest thing that keeps a plant happy is light. Here is how to see a room the way a plant does.
Read the noteReady to begin?
Pick something forgiving and characterful from the collection, or read the longer care guides before you do. Either way, we are here if you get stuck.