As we enter a new month and finally bid farewell to January, keen gardeners must take note of how often they water their house plants.
GardnersWorld urge: “Reduce watering for almost all house plants apart from Christmas cactus and poinsettia which will need watering whenever soil feels dry”.
It is crucial to cut down on watering your houseplants in February because they need less water during the winter as during the colder months plants grow more slowly or become dormant.
The show advises plant owners that dormant plants need very little water, if you give them too much “they’ll either produce soft, weak growth or will rot as water accumulates in the compost”.
For most house plants, you should reduce watering to once every fortnight. Meanwhile, succulents should only be watered every two to three weeks, while, when it comes to cacti, you should stop watering them entirely.
It is an important tip to be aware of as overwatering is the most common cause of plant death. If your plant’s leaves turn yellow in the winter it could mean the plant has too much water. If over-watering continues, plants may show other drought symptoms, such as scorch and leaf drop, and the plant could potentially die.
To fix an overwatered house plant gardeners should move the plant to a shady area, create additional air spaces around the root ball, repot it into a different and only water when the surface of the soil is dry to the touch.
GardnersWorld also advises maximising “the amount of light your house plants receive” in February by moving it to brighter spots or choose house plants that will grow in shadier spots. With shorter days and less sunshine over winter, it’s important to maximise the amount of light reaching your plants.
During this month gardeners should place plants on a south- or east-facing windowsill for the most direct sunlight and even rotate your plants regularly to help them grow evenly.
You can also move them into a sunny conservatory or porch, so they get light from many different directions.
