Garden Blog - Top Tropicals
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Male papaya with fruit
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Black sapote mocha dip
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In Part 1 we covered the foundation: light, temperature, placement, and acclimation. That is the survival layer.
Part 2 is about what quietly ruins plants indoors in winter. Not overnight. Slowly.
Most winter losses come from good intentions and habits that worked fine outdoors or in summer, but fail indoors when growth slows.
If there is one winter skill that matters more than anything else, it is knowing when not to water.
In winter, light is weaker, temperatures are lower, roots stay cold longer, and growth slows or stops. Plants simply do not drink the way they do in summer.
Do not water on a schedule. Winter does not care about your calendar.
Instead:
Before watering, test the soil with your finger. Water only when the top inch or so is dry.
If the soil below still feels cool and damp, do nothing. That is the hardest skill to learn.
Remember what we covered in Part 1: in winter, soil and roots stay cold much longer. Cold roots absorb water very slowly. Wet, cold soil is not helpful moisture. It is stress.
Waiting is often the correct move.
Always check below the surface. If the pot feels cold and heavy, roots are not asking for water yet.
As a rough guideline, most indoor tropicals need 25 to 50 percent less water than summer, sometimes even less in low light.
Always use room temperature water. Cold water shocks roots and slows recovery.
Winter indoor air is dry. Often far drier than people realize.
Heating systems pull moisture out of the air, and many homes sit at 20 to 30 percent humidity all winter. Most tropical plants prefer something closer to 50 to 60 percent.
Low humidity rarely kills plants outright. It weakens them first. That is why pests show up more often in winter. The plant is already stressed before insects arrive.
Humidity works best when plants are grouped. One isolated plant in dry air struggles far more than a group sharing moisture.
Misting leaves feels helpful, but it only raises humidity for minutes. It does not fix dry air.
Winter light is already weak. Dust makes it worse.
Dusty leaves block light, clog stomata, and create hiding places for pests.
Wiping leaves is one of the simplest winter care steps, and one of the most ignored.
Gently wipe. No scrubbing. Every few weeks is enough.
Plants with fuzzy leaves, like African violets, should only be brushed gently with a dry brush.
Clean leaves also make problems easier to see. You will spot mites, scale, or damage early instead of discovering it weeks later.
Winter is not the season to be surprised.
Soil that works outdoors often behaves badly indoors. No wind, lower evaporation, and cooler roots mean the same soil stays wet far longer than expected.
In winter, roots care more about oxygen than water. Soil that stays wet pushes oxygen out, even if the plant looks fine above the soil line.
This is why rot often appears suddenly in late winter, not right after watering mistakes.
Large pots dry slowly. Slow drying plus cool soil equals rot.
If a plant is barely growing, a very large pot is not doing it any favors.
Winter is not the time to repot unless you must.
Only repot if:
Repotting in winter slows recovery and often makes things worse.
Indoor winter air is still. Still air leads to mold, fungus, and spider mites.
Airflow is not about cooling plants. It is about breaking stagnant air layers that pests and fungus love.
A small fan on low, not blowing directly on plants, makes a big difference. Even gentle movement helps more than people expect.
Never let pots sit in water.
Standing water causes root rot, fungus gnats, and mold smell. Always empty trays after watering.
Raise pots slightly so air can move underneath. It helps more than people expect.
If you smell sour soil or a musty odor, something is staying wet too long. That smell is an early warning, not a minor issue.
This is where a lot of winter damage happens.
If a plant is not actively growing, fertilizer does not help. It hurts.
In winter, most indoor tropicals are in maintenance mode, not growth mode. Feeding during this time leads to salt buildup, root burn, and weak, floppy growth.
Green leaves do not mean the plant is growing. They often just mean the plant has not given up yet.
Growth shows up as new leaves, longer stems, or expanding roots. No growth means no feeding.
Only if all of these are true:
Even then, feed lightly and less often than summer.
Spring will come. You do not need to force it.
My soil stays wet forever.
Too little light, too cold, or pot too large. Water less.
Leaves are crispy but soil is wet.
Low humidity combined with overwatering.
Should I mist every day?
No. Fix the air, not the leaves.
Can I fertilize just a little?
Only if the plant is clearly growing.
Why do I suddenly have fungus gnats?
Wet soil indoors is the invitation.
My plant looks fine but has not grown in months. Is that bad?
No. Stability is success in winter.
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Kristi Vanbenschoten, Top Tropicals manager, and Persephone the cat
Thank you to everyone who came out and supported our Holiday Plant Market last Saturday, December 13, 2025. It was great to see familiar faces, meet new visitors, and watch the garden fill with people exploring, asking questions, and choosing new plants to take home. Our CatsPeople were busy greeting guests, supervising carts, and making sure everyone felt welcome. Your support and good energy are what make these events special for us. We hope your new plants settle in beautifully, and we look forward to seeing you back in the garden soon!
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9 tropical vegetables to grow indoors
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Cat Masyanya
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Patchouli tea
Patchouli leaves