Brian Minter: Adapting to cooler season means shifting to colourful plants indoors

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As darker, chillier conditions outside make it less pleasant to enjoy our gardens, it’s time to turn our attention indoors.

Cooler outdoor temperatures and shorter days also contribute to less-than-perfect indoor growing conditions, but with a few adjustments and wise plant choices, we can enjoy some great winter colour for the next few months.

Running our homes just a few degrees cooler will help improve humidity and save on energy bills. Opening  blinds and curtains during daylight hours will improve light quality, which really helps all plants to continue growing. Keeping the heat vents closed or at least partly closed near your windows will contribute to a better plant environment because repositioning all our indoor plants near direct and indirect window light will also make a huge difference in their winter growth habits.

Contrary to popular thinking, keeping all your plants root-bound in smaller pots over winter is just fine. Repotting into larger containers over the next few months is one of the worst things you can do. Plants love to be a bit root-bound in the comfort zone of their containers to keep them growing.

Watering also needs to be adjusted this time of year. The best rule of thumb for plants in liftable pots is to lift the pot, feel the weight, and only if it is relatively light, give it a drink of warm water. If it’s heavy, do not water it. When you are watering, do so thoroughly to leach out the salts from your soil to prevent root burn. For larger plants a weekly check is adequate and even succulents, especially aloe vera, and