Growing Plants Inside for the Winter

During the winter, everything seems to die, but it doesn't have to. If you want to have a lush garden during the winter, you can find plants and flowers that do well in cooler weather.

Otherwise, a simple option is to bring your flowers and plants inside. This works well at keeping your potted plants alive throughout winter, and when the weather starts to warm again, you can put the plants back outside for natural sunlight and warmth.

If you're trying to figure out how to bring your plants inside for the winter without causing too much stress on the plants, it's rather simple. If you have them already thriving outside, you'll want to follow the simple tips below, to transition them inside during the winter.

If you're having trouble with the tips for bringing plants inside for the winter, you may also want to consider some of the plants and flowers that thrive better in cooler weather, whether inside or out.

Because each plant is a little different, make sure that you know the basic care requirements for the plants that you want to bring inside for winter. Once you know what you're bringing inside, it's time to bring the plants inside.

1. If you are digging up plants from the yard, transplant them in a new growing medium that isn't regular dirt from the yard. If you're just moving a potted plant inside for the winter, don't worry about re-potting it. The purpose of using new soil for planted flowers and plants, is to reduce disease and health problems by transitioning the plants inside for the winter.
2. Use a time-released fertilizer to help boost the health of the plant, especially for transplanted plants you are bringing in for the winter.
   
3. Place the plants in a well-lit area. If you can't find the right window or place in your sun room, you may need to purchase an indoor plant light. (It is ideal to have the light source about 12-18 inches from the plant.)
   
4. Use a regular ceiling fan to help regulate the temperatures in the room that you've got the plants. You don't want the plants to get too hot with the lamps.
   
5. Only water when the top of the soil feels dry. Try not to over water plants, especially those that are used to being in the ground. For potted plants, you can generally continue caring for them as normal, in terms of watering.

If you want your plants to make it through the winter, you're going to have to plan ahead. You'll want to make sure that they make it through fall and winter in order to make it to spring and summer.

For larger plants, you'll want to cover them up. You can use garbage bags, plastic bags, or cotton bags made specifically for plants during the winter. In some cases, wrap the covering around the bush, tree, or plant with a tight rope.

You want to do whatever you can to protect the roots from freezing. Consider adding about 2-4 inches of mulch on top of the soil around the base of the plant to help create an insulation layer.

You may even want to consider digging a gutter around one side of the bush and filling the gutter with pine straw or mulch and then putting more soil on top of the filler.

Prune climbing plants so that they will sprout and bloom better in the spring.

Also, consider moving potted plants that cannot be brought inside into more sunnier areas of the yard.

Flowering Houseplants

• African violets
• Begonia
• Christmas cactus
• Clivia
• Cyclamen
• Kalanchoe
• Orchids
• Succulents

Flowers

• Geraniums
• Impatiens
• Miniature Roses
• Pansies
• Poinsettia
  
• Nasturtiums
• Snapdragons
• Violas