Hi Folks I am fairly new to house plants and this will be my first winter period with house plants. I have 21 different plants and I have worked out when to water each one during the growing season, with the exception of a couple most of them like to dry out a bit between waterings. I am now getting worried about the winter time, I know the plants go dormant so will use less water, my question is do I let them dry out just the same amount as I did in the growing season and then water or should I let them dry out more than I would have done in the growing season before I water them. I also have a small Hoya cutting, a ZZ Plant and 2 Small Ficus Benjamina sitting on an east facing windowsill, will these be ok there for the winter, I am guessing if it gets really cold and frosty outside then I should move them off into the room somewhere I hope this makes sense. Many Thanks Jakk
the zz plant shouldn't need much of a change in watering schedule - it doesn't need much to begin with and once every 3-4-5 weeks is fine at any time of the year. the hoya should be watered a little less if the temps are quite a bit lower than where ever you kept them during the summer. temps should not get below 50 for most types, so, if that spot gets that low, you'll need to find another spot. the ficus you can probably cut back frequency by a week or so - dormancy isn't extreme with them and they shouldn't be allowed to dry out completely. what other plants do you have??? some don't go dormant in winter - some actually go dormant in summer (they never forget where home is and stay on that routine regardless of what continent and hemisphere they're located on).
Thanks for all that info Joclyn, its very helpfull to a newbi like myself and I really appreciate you taking the time to post it. Below is a list of my other plants, any advise you can give me on getting this little lot through the winter would be brilliant. Areca Palm Dieffenbachia Dracaena Marginata dracaena Marginata Tricolour Dracaena Fragrans Massangeana Spineless Yucca Calathea Hedra Helix Schefflera Ficus Elastica Variegata Syngonium Cordyline Terminus Chlorophytum Comosum I also have a cactus collection but I know what needs to be done to get these through the winter. Many Thanks Jakk
i can't help with the areca palm and calathea as i don't have them and don't know what they need. dieffenbachia should not be allowed to completely dry out. since temps will be a bit cooler inside, they shouldn't need as frequent watering as when kept outside - i would check the soil moisture at next watering time (just stick finger in it) and if it's dry enough, water, if still moistish, hold off a couple days and then check it again and water if needed. dracs do like to dry out a bit before having another drink and with temps on the cooler side, it will take a bit longer for the soil to dry out, so, again, check it first and water if needed and wait a couple days if the soil is still moistish. the yucca is a succulent and does not need a lot of water at any time of the year and should be allowed to dry out well before watering again. every 2-3 weeks when outside and it's very hot and then every 3-4 weeks is winter when it's inside. you can use the same soil mix as for cacti for this one. hedera helix likes to dry out a bit, yet, not too much. this one is tricky and i've not gotten it down correctly - lost one to not enough water, one to too much and the last one to spider mites. i've given up on that one. same with schefflera - i've had that half a dozen times and couldn't get it right. they supposedly can deal with a good bit of neglect. i know they don't like to have constantly wet feet. i had a miniature one that i was going to do as bonsai and that did really well with once-monthly waterings for quite a while until the cat got to it and knocked it off the plant stand and out of it's pot. maybe he knew something i didn't and decided to put it out of it's misery? dunno! was really ticked because that one was actually doing well - had had it for 8 months or so (compared to about two for any others that i'd had). ficus elastica you can cut back a little on the watering over winter - the variegated one seems to be more picky though. seems to need more water/more frequently than the plain green or the red variety. i have the regular green and the red and water both pretty infrequently in winter - once every 3 weeks or so. i do every 2-3 weeks in summer (they stay inside all year). i love the variegated one and never saw it anywhere until this summer. got one and lost it - had been doing the same treatment as the other two and it obviously wasn't frequent enough. so, that one, i'd stick with no more than every 2 weeks. syngonium - is it the regular sized leaves or the very small leafed type? regular size you can let it go for about 10-14 days in winter. summer when it's hot it'll need more frequent watering. the tiny-leaf type are much more thirsty - water weekly winter or summer. maybe even a bit more in summer if you keep it outside. also, if you keep it in very bright light it'll grow more quickly and will need more watering. that one is an aroid, so use a very well-draining mix. corydilene should never be completely dry - winter or summer. check the soil weekly and water if it's dry down an inch or so. chlorophytum comosum (aka spider plant) is another one i've given up on. haha, it's supposed to be one of the easist things to grow - basically fool-proof. heh, not for me! someone else will be along to answer what i can't.
Thanks so much for all that info Joclyn, I have learn't so much from you post on here today. The info on Yucca and the cactus soil is priceless to me as I will be potting it up in the spring and I now what soil to use. My Hedra Helix is doing great, I have been watering when the surface of the soil starts to dry out. The same with my schefflera only I let it dry out a little more than the Hedra between waterings. I agree with you about the variegated Ficus Elastica, its a beautiful looking plant and is one of my favorites, I have been watering it when the soil is mostly dry, the same way I water all my Drac plants and its been doing great, I only brought it at the end of August and it sprouted 2 huge new leaves already. I am not sure what type my syngonium is so I have attached a photo, I have been keeping her soil moist all the time the same as I do with the Calathea watering when the surface of the soil starts to dry out. I would like to say thanks again for all that info on how I go about caring for my plants throughout the dormant period, I now feel a bit more confidant I can get them through the winter now. Many Thanks Jakk
that looks to be the large-leaf type - and nice and healthy, too! as is the variegated ficus! the syngonium needs moist, not soggy soil and it sounds and looks like you're doing things just right by it. VERY good to see those pebble trays!!! they make a big difference inside especially if you have forced-air heat as that really dries the air out!
Sorry if this upsets anyone, and I hate to disagree but the "ZZ" (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) needs a wet season and a dry season if you want it to live. That includes more water in the wet season and less in the dry. The belief this plant doesn't like water is purely a myth perpetuated by sellers that like to see people kill plants so you'll go buy a new one. There is no aroid in the world that doesn't need water on a regular basis in the wet season although there are plants that will survive the dry season with little. It is all explained here: http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Zamioculcas zamiifolia pc.html
You can water your Areca palm the same as you did during the summer months. You'll want to keep the soil on the moist side at all times, never keeping it soggy wet, or letting the soil completely dry out.
steve, why be sorry to disagree when you've got the correct info?? that just doesn't make sense!!! anyhoo, just WHEN is the zz supposed to have a rainy period - winter or summer and is that winter/summer as it occurs in its native africa or does it adjust to the weather pattern in whatever hemisphere and continent it's currently residing in?
The plant is found south of the equator in Africa in only a few countries. When they have a dry season it is really dry and when they have a rainy season it is like a lake! However, their seasons are the opposite of those in our hemisphere. I would suggest watering the plant more often in our summer and far less in our winter simply because of natural evaporation. The plant will loose the moisture fastest in our summer. The very important thing to understand is the "soil". This plant cannot survive in the soggy stuff sold at discount centers. This species lives in moderate shade in extremely sandy soil. The stuff the growers pot it in is absolutely contrary to the way it grows in nature. I sometimes (not always) hate to accuse growers of "helping" growers to kill their plants but I honestly believe it in this case. They tell you not to water it and then pot it in soil that is so dissimilar to the "soil" it has in nature the double whammy almost guarantees the plant won't survive a year. Consider it! When you like a plant and it dies due to improper treatment who is the beneficiary?? In SE Asia this species is grown as a "lucky charm" and they drown it because most of the region is a rain forest! However, they are smart enough to put it in a soil mix that contains more sand than soil. Since the region is a rain forest they normally allow nature to take care of the watering and their natural wet and dry seasons do the rest. Mix up a soil with lots of sand and add some Perlite and then water it frequently in the "wet" season and less in the "dry" season and it will grow for many years. I've had one in my artificial rain forest for close to four years and although it goes dormant every winter it pops right back up in the summer. During the summer we often water as much as 8 to 10 minutes per day. I also have spoken with curators of several botanical gardens that do the same thing. It will last a long time but don't listen to the people at the discount garden centers! By the way, I got all the information on my page from German aroid botanists Josef Bogner and Peter Boyce. Josef studied the plant in the wild and Pete sees many of them growing in Malaysia where he teaches aroid botany. Both are coauthors of The Genera of Araceae by Simon Mayo, Josef and Pete. The book is considered the most thorough aroid book in existence and although it is very costly I recommend it highly. Bluewing's advice on the palm is excellent. However, even though I don't recall the correct name the scientific name was recently reverted into a synonym and the plant sunk into synonymy with another species. I'll call a palm expert I know in Florida and try to get the correct info. Not all tropical plants go dormant but some do need substantially less water during the winter.
Sorry if you read my first post earlier and saw the word "Ecuador" in place of equator. I must have spelled it incorrectly and the spell check threw in "Ecuador" which won't work in the sentence since Ecuador isn't anywhere near Africa.
so, by saying to water well during our summer, you're saying winter is the natural rainy period in africa (which is when our summer is) ?
Not exactly. I'm saying that would be the rough equivalent. Their dry period is their summer which would be our winter. I'd have to do some digging to find out in which months their natural rainy season begins. If I were to guess I'd say THEIR rainy season runs from September for 4 months or so but I haven't confirmed that. Remember, count forward 6 months to figure out the equivalent month in our hemisphere (September there would be roughly February here as far as seasons go but they are south of the equator so they don't get the cold. Think winter in South Florida!
Joclyn - Thanks for your kind words about my Syngonium and Ficus Elastica, I have put a lot of effort into learning about all my plants needs but it seems to have paid off as all my plants look nice a healthy You are correct about the pebble trays, they really do improve the humidity around the plants as does grouping them together, I have a hygrometer sat by my Calathea and it rarely goes below 30% RH. Luckily I don't like hot rooms so I don't have the central heating on all the time. Bluewing - Thanks for the advise on the Acera Palm, I have been watering it the way you describe in your post so I will just carry with that throughout the winter. Photopro - Thanks for posting all that info on the ZZ plant, I found that and the link you posted to be very interesting. I actually brought my plant off Ebay as they are not widely available here in the UK, the seller was in Malaysia and the plant was shipped without any compost, I potted it into a clay pot using J Arthur Bowers multi purpose compost which comes with perlite already added. I do water it regularly as it dries out very quickly and it seems to be doing great at the moment.
