08 Dec Taking Care of Winter Plants through the Cold!
The Green Goddess staff is often asked how plant care may change during winter months. Taking caring of plants in cold weather does entail special considerations that should be followed.
While the Phoenix area enjoys relatively mild winters; chilly mornings and evenings along with low humidity can wreak havoc on interior or exterior plants.
Here are some basic steps to ensure your winter plants are properly cared for during chilly temperatures:
Sunlight and Artificial Light:
The shorter winter days offer less sunshine to fuel the growth of plants and gardens. This shortfall can be offset with certain precautions.
Artificial lighting is a reliable means to compensate for reduced natural light. A plant care professional can advise on the most appropriate incandescent or fluorescent lighting for your plants and flowers.
As the winter months approach, adjusting the location or positioning of indoor and outdoor plants can maximize sunlight capture.
The plant design staff at The Green Goddess Nursery will happily recommend strategies that increase sun exposure, while still providing an aesthetically pleasing living space.
Soil Mixtures:
Watering your plants and flowers is an essential aspect of foliage care. However, excess water in plant soil can freeze during chilly winter nights.
The frozen soil can prevent foliage roots from absorbing essential nutrients, thereby affecting the health of plants, citrus trees and flowers.
Mixing sand, compost and sawdust into plant soil is an effective solution to this dilemma. The combination allows soil to sufficiently drain, which enables roots to glean needed nutrients with reduced risk of freezing.
The appropriate planters may also be helpful for water draining and mixing various elements into your soil.
Watering:
The threat of frozen soil can also be minimized by watering plants with greater frequency in lower amounts. This allows foliage to get essential moisture without the excess that can promote freezing.
Humidity:
With particularly dry winters, plant care in Phoenix must maximize humidity to promote the health of foliage through colder weather.
Finding an area of the home with minimal exposure to heating systems will spare plants from areas most stripped of air moisture.
Mulch:
Mulch serves as an added layer of soil protection against freezing. This simple step can prevent plant soil from freezing and roots from getting harmfully cold.
Summary:
The proper steps and information are invaluable to plant care for all seasons. By understanding basic principles of plant maintenance, foliage of all varieties can thrive throughout the year.
Please contact us at 602-971-8110 for more recommendations on caring for plants, trees and flowers.