Now that we have tucked in our gardens for the winter and the first snowfall has arrived, it is time to turn our attention to our indoor plants.

First, I think it is important to note that the term “indoor” plant is a bit misleading. It suggests that certain plants want or prefer to grow inside our homes.

As a colleague of mine always says, “There is no such thing as an indoor plant.” All plants prefer to be growing in their natural habitats outdoors, wherever that may be.

Most of our indoor plants are from the tropics, where they would be growing under tall palm trees with a misty rain shower on a regular basis. Our homes present a few challenges for them.

Here in Canada, our houses are very dry and warm in the winter. We also have much lower light conditions as we have more cloudy days and simply less intense sun.

If you had your plants outside for the summer months and have brought them back into house this fall, you will see those plants going through a bit of a struggle at this time.

Some leaves may be yellowing and falling off. Or, you may have brought in a pest or disease from the outdoors.

Even if your plants have been indoors all summer, they, too, will be having a resting time. Here are some tips to keep them healthy over winter.

With our sunlight levels being reduced at this time of year with the shorter days, it is beneficial to move the plants closer to a light source such as a window or patio door.

If the plants were outside for the summer, they were accustomed to a much brighter light even if they were in a part shade location.

The lower light conditions mean that the plants are not growing as vigorously as they do during the summer months. The more growth a plant is putting, the more water it requires.

Therefore, they do not need to be watered as frequently. You should only water when the top inch of soil feels dry.

Instead of a regular schedule, it is better to check the soil itself to see if it is dry or use a moisture meter.

When the plants are not growing as quickly in winter, they do not require as much nutrients as they do at other times. So, cut back on the amount of food that you give them.

Keep plants away from cold drafts and registers or radiators. A cold draft from an exterior door can set back sensitive plants. Having plants too close to air registers or radiators blowing out warm, dry air can also be stressful to the plant.

Don’t stress about leaves yellowing and dropping off. You will often see leaves turn yellow lower on a plant right before or as it is pushing out new leaves or producing new flower buds.

This takes a lot of extra energy to do so. The plant will then drop some of its oldest leaves so it will have the extra energy that it needs.

It is only when leaves at the tips of branches yellow that it is a concern.

When you think about how most of the plants we have indoors are from a tropical climate, it only stands to reason that they prefer to grow in an atmosphere with higher humidity levels.

Most houseplants grow best when humidity levels are between 40 to 50 per cent, but wintertime humidity levels are typically 20 30 per cent inside homes — sometimes as low as 10 per cent.

A simple way to ramp up the humidity around plants is to cluster them together. Another easy method to increase humidity is to place plants on trays filled with pebbles and water.

The bottoms of the pots should be above the water level to avoid root rot. As the water evaporates, it creates a more humid microclimate for your houseplants.

Resist repotting plants in early winter. Plants take well to repotting when they are actively growing.

That’s why spring and summer are the best times to repot them. Repotting the plants when they are in a resting state can shock dormant indoor plants.

Wait to cut back leggy plants late winter or early spring. As the days are lengthening and the sunlight becomes stronger, your plants will begin to grow more.

The best time to prune back indoor plants is just before a growth spurt. This will help to increase the branching, creating a denser plant.

Joanne Young is a Niagara-on-the-Lake garden expert and coach. See her website at joanneyoung.ca