Are you wondering if your Monstera plant can survive the cold winter days? If yes, then read on to get the answer.
Monstera can survive winter if you guarantee two essential things for it. First, make sure your plant is warm. In fact, monstera is a tropical plant that thrives when the temperature is between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature goes below 50°F, bring your plant inside or increase the temperature using a heating pad.
Second, check if the plant has enough light. Even though the monstera goes through dormancy during the winter, it will still need at least 10 hours of bright, indirect light each day. If sunlight is unavailable where you live during the winter, you should use grow light to replace it.
In the following paragraphs, we will answer all your questions regarding how to keep your monstera alive and healthy during winter.
Let’s get started!
Can Monstera Survive Winter?
Monstera can survive winter if the temperature is not too low and if cold drafts do not happen very often. If you live somewhere where the temperature drops below 50°F and cold drafts are frequent, you will need to give this plant extra care during winter to keep it alive.
These plants are native to tropical America, where the climate is warm and the sun is available all year. Therefore, growing them in chilly weather or without enough sunlight can be detrimental.
Freezing temperatures can cause your monstera to wilt and die. When the temperature drops to freezing, the plant’s water content freezes and expands, causing its cells to burst.
Monstera will also need protection from the wind and cold drafts during winter. If you live in a windy location, you should bring your monstera inside during winter and ensure that the doors and windows are closed tight.
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What Happens to Monstera During the Winter?
During winter, monstera stops growing and enter into a state of dormancy. This means it stops producing new growth and uses energy for photosynthesis. This plant will stop growing or grow very slowly during this time of the year.
During the winter, monstera tends to conserve energy and store nutrients. Additionally, dormancy is a period when the plant takes a rest from the previous growing season and prepares itself for the next one. During this time, It’s normal for the leaves to become smaller and the growth rate to slow down.
The main problem that occurs during dormancy is the lack of sunlight. In fact, even if monstera stops growing during winter, it cannot be entirely deprived of sunlight. Therefore, substituting sunlight with grow light is mandatory if you live somewhere where winter is too cold.
During the winter, monstera will not need as much water as it needs during spring and summer. Therefore, you should water this plant only occasionally during cold days. Watering them too often will disturb the balance that the plant tries to go through during dormancy.
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How Do I Know That My Monstera Is Struggling with Winter Conditions?
Yellow leaves, leaf droop, and leaf wilting are the main signs that indicate that your monstera is struggling with winter conditions.
Let’s go over each one of these signs and see why and how it happens:
Yellow Leaves
If the leaves of your monstera start yellowing during winter, you might be giving this plant more water than it needs. Generally, plants will need less water during winter compared to spring and summer. But people who water monsteras following a rigid schedule will harm their plants by watering them following the same frequency of spring and summer.
If you want to avoid this, try to water your monstera only once every two weeks during winter. Additionally, you can use a moister meter to check the soil before watering. This way, you will only water your monstera when it needs to be watered.
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Leaf drop
The colder the temperature, the slower the rate at which water will evaporate from the leaves. This can cause the leaves to shrivel up and eventually drop off.
But before saying that winter conditions are causing your monstera to droop leaves, you should ensure that your plant is 100% healthy. Generally, leaf droop can be caused by other factors.
Leaf drooping may signify a nutrient deficiency, such as calcium or iron. It may mean a disease, such as bacterial wilt or powdery mildew. And it may also be caused by overwatering or overfertilizing.
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How to Care for Monstera During Winter?
To keep your monstera alive during winter, keep giving it enough sunlight and maintain the temperature above 50°F. Additionally, you should avoid disturbing the dormancy state of the plant by stopping fertilization and reducing the watering frequency.
Let’s go over the main actions that you should take to keep your monstera healthy during winter:
Keep Giving the Plant Enough Light
If sunlight is available during winter where you live, then you don’t need to do anything to provide your plant with light. However, if sunlight is available for only a few hours a day or not available at all, you will need to use grow light.
The best way to provide sufficient light for plants during winter is to use fluorescent lighting. You can purchase a fluorescent bulb that is specifically designed for indoor use. They have a low wattage output, meaning they use less electricity. And they are compact, making them perfect for smaller spaces like a closet or bathroom.
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Reduce the Watering Frequency
If you are used to watering your monstera once a week during spring and summer, you should cut back on watering during winter. Generally, this plant needs to be watered only once every two weeks during winter. But this will still depend on how cold winter is where you live.
If the temperature gets too low where you live during winter, then you may need to water your monstera only once every three weeks. However, if the winter season is warm, you may need to keep watering your monstera following the same frequency of spring and summer.
To avoid all these misapprehensions regarding watering your monstera during winter, you should check the soil before watering and decide whether to water the plant.
You can check the soil of your monstera before watering using your finger or a moister meter. If the soil feels dry to the touch or the monster meter indicates that the soil is dehydrated, you can water the plant.
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Keep the Humidity High
While it is true that monsteras need less water during the winter, it is essential to maintain adequate humidity. This can be done by placing your plants in a room with a humidifier or in a humid area of your homes like the kitchen and the bathroom.
Cut Back on Fertilizing or Stop Completely
Fertilizing your monstera during the winter months is not recommended. In fact, when this plant enters dormancy, it slows down its growth and metabolism. Fertilizer applied during this time will push the plant to go out of dormancy, preventing it from resting and preparing for the next growing season.
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Can Monstera Be Outside in Winter?
Monstera can be outside in winter, especially if you live in a tropical climate. However, if winter weather conditions become harsh, this plant should be brought inside.
Before bringing your monstera inside in winter, you should think of acclimation. This is the process by which a plant adjusts to a new environment.
If you bring your monstera inside in winter, don’t worry if you see an uncommon reaction from the plant, such as a leaf curl or a leaf drop. This is a natural response from your plant to adapt to new conditions. The plant will adjust within a few days and return to its normal state.
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Can I Repot My Monstera in Winter?
You can repot your monstera in winter, but this is not the best time for repotting plants. Generally, plants should be reported just before the beginning of the growing season. This will allow plants to benefit from the rich, fresh soil to grow at full potential when the sun is available.
To repot your monstera in winter, you will need to use a slightly bigger container than the original pot. When repotting, remove the plant from its current pot and gently rinse the roots with water. Then, cut any dead or damaged roots.
Once you have removed all the damaged and dead roots, you must let the plant dry. Meanwhile, prepare fresh potting soil by mixing 1 part peat moss, 1 part perlite, and 4 parts pine barks.
Finally, add half of the soil mix to the new container and place the root above it. Then, add the soil mix and thoroughly water your plant.
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Can I Propagate Monstera in Winter?
You can propagate monstera at any time of the year. However, spring and summer are the ideal times for this because the plant is genetically designed to grow during the year’s warm months.
If you choose to propagate monstera during winter, growing new roots will take a lot of time. In fact, during the winter months, plants are not actively growing, and the energy available to produce seeds and cuttings is very low.
One of the easiest and fastest ways to propagate monstera in winter is by using a cutting. Take a small section of stem from your existing plant and remove the lower portion.
When you cut your plant, make sure you leave a small amount of stem so the plant can continue growing. Place the stem inside a water container in a sunny location.
If you keep changing the water after regularly every three to five days, you will see your monstera cuttings growing new roots within 2-3 weeks.
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