Help your plant through the winter!

The dark days are here, and although they can be wonderfully cosy and bring plenty of good cheer, your green friends are not exactly jumping for joy at this time of year. Just like you and me, houseplants need time to adjust to the new temperatures and short days. So give your plant a little extra love during this period. We'll happily tell you what to look out for to help your plant through the winter healthy and happy.

Your plant's light needs

Yes, the hours of sunshine are pretty disappointing on these dark days. Something for us to get used to, but for your green friend it's no fiesta at all. Where it may have spent the summer basking gloriously in the sun, it now suddenly has to work very hard to catch any rays at all. In winter, move your plants a little closer to a window to give them more daylight. This doesn't apply, of course, to plants that prefer a shady spot anyway.

Watering your plant

Your plant's water needs are different in winter than in summer. In summer the plant catches more light and processes water faster. In winter you can give your plant a little less water, as it processes it more slowly. Always feel the soil with two fingers before you water. Is the soil still wet from last time? Then hold off on watering for a while.

Your plant and the heating

Bliss: after a long day, flopping onto the sofa with a cup of tea and your favourite series. Blanket on, heating up... STOP! That's where our alarm bells start ringing. Plants are really not fans of the heating at all. It makes the air in the room very dry and can cause your plants to dry out. Make sure your plant isn't on the windowsill when you crank up the heating, and that your plants aren't within a metre of the radiator. What can you do instead? Put a bowl of water on the windowsill and mist the leaves weekly. Your plants will thank you.

Your plant in cold rooms

It's lovely to have an eye-catching plant by the entrance in the hall, but have you thought about the temperature? In most homes the hallway is the chilliest room in the house. And that's exactly where your gorgeous showpiece is standing. Most plants do fine down to a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius, but should it drop below that, bring your plant into the living room for a while. It'll love you for it.

Feeding your plant

Did someone say food?! No, in winter it's better to skip feeding your plant. Most plants go into a winter dormancy and have no need for extra energy and nutrients. Sometimes it can even do harm. Only give your plant plant food from March to September.