So, you brought some of your plants indoors for the winter and you probably already had some houseplants. How do you keep them all healthy?

There was a meme bouncing around social media lately that pretty well sums up the challenges of growing plants indoors. Here’s a synopsis: If the leaves on your plant are turning yellow, it could be because it has too much water, too little water, too much light, too little light, too much fertilizer or not enough fertilizer. Unfortunately, this is true.

Indoor plants can be a challenge, but we’re gardeners, if we didn’t like a challenge, we would be doing something else. Despite the ambiguity of the meme, proper light is going to be a challenge for most indoor plants.

Your best bet is to place your plants in the room that gets the most sunlight. If you don’t get enough light, you’ll need to supplement natural light with a grow light of some sort. Fortunately, grow lights have really come down in price from previous years so with a little shopping, you can brighten your plant’s day.

Next, you’ll need to be aware of room temperature. While you may have a good spot in the window where your plants get good sunlight, be careful not to place the plant where it’s leaves can touch a cold window. This will be more important as we enter colder weather. On the flip side, try not to locate your plant in a spot near a heater vent as that warm air can dry out your plants.

Most indoor plants also like a bit of humidity in the air, so adding a humidifier to the mix isn’t a bad idea either. If you don’t have a humidifier available, you can place the plant on a tray of small gravel or pebbles and keep those stones watered. The evaporating water will help add some moisture to the air.

Watering house plants is also critical. Your best strategy is to water the plant thoroughly and then refrain from watering until the plant has dried out. Watering too much can encourage root rot in those soggy roots, so just let them dry out a bit before watering. Or you can purchase an inexpensive moisture meter so you can test to know for sure. The reality is that most plants will tell you when it’s time to water. Just add water until you see it coming out the drain hole and then leave them alone for a while.

Pot size also makes a difference on how often you need to water. The smaller the pot, the more often you will need to water. Smaller pots will probably need to be watered every 2 - 3 days while larger pots may only need water once a week.

Outdoor plants have the advantage of being able to draw nutrients from their surroundings, but indoor plants do not have that luxury. Because of this, you should plan on getting a water-soluble fertilizer and fertilize according to directions. Good luck.

You can get answers to all your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardeners Help Line at 918-746-3701, dropping by our Diagnostic Center at 4116 E. 15th Street, or by emailing us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org. Photo: Pixabay