How to keep houseplants healthy through the cold season

Every autumn, as gardeners bring their plants back indoors from the garden or veranda, many face the same problem: the plants start to wilt, leaf tips turn brown, and eventually the plants have to be discarded. Houseplant specialist Ingūna Gudrupa explains that the main culprit is often excessively dry air, caused by both heating radiators and underfloor heating. The latter tends to have an even stronger effect, since it dries the air over a much larger area than a single radiator would.

The recommended solution is to buy an air humidifier, which benefits not only the plants but also the people living in the home. The specialist advises bringing plants indoors gradually and keeping the temperature lower at first, so they can adapt slowly to the change in conditions. It's also important to decide in advance what temperature will be maintained in the room throughout winter, since this determines which plants are suitable.

Pots and lighting

In a cooler room of around 15 degrees Celsius, citrus trees, figs, azaleas and camellias tend to thrive, while a warmer room of around 20 degrees suits plants adapted to tropical climates better. Plants should not be potted directly into large decorative containers — instead, they should be placed in a pot matching their root size, which is then set inside a decorative container filled with a neutral material to keep soil temperature stable.

Since houseplants only bloom for a short period, colorful foliage plants such as croton or dracaena can add lasting visual interest. In warm, humid rooms, natural light coming through double-glazed windows may not be sufficient, causing plants to stretch toward the light source — additional lighting can help prevent this. Among the most drought-tolerant plants are aloe, jade plant, snake plant and zamioculcas, while the spider plant can survive almost any conditions.