🌿 Bring the Jungle Inside: Winter Survival Guide Part 2.Temperature. ❄️

Smokey: Too cold. We need more heaters so the plants feel comfortable.
Sunshine: I feel comfortable.
Smokey: You are not part of my plant collection, but I am glad you are comfortable.

🌡️ TEMPERATURE: THE TROPICAL DORMANCY LINE

In Part 1 (Winter Survival Guide: Temperature) we covered the foundation: light, placement, and acclimation. That is the survival layer.

Most tropicals stop growing below 70 to 75 F. They stay green, but their engine shuts down.

Below 70F:

• Water intake drops.
• Roots slow down.
• Fertilizing becomes risky.
• Root root becomes easy.

If you WANT your plants to grow in winter, you must take care of everything: Warmth, light, humidity, water. It all works together.

• Aim for 75 F with bright light. Water lightly. No fertilizer.
• Watch out for drafts. Cold windows. Door blasts. Garage entryways. Even one gust can trigger leaf drop.
• Vents are the opposite problem: hot, dry, dusty air. That gives you crispy edges and mites.
Root zone temperature matters just as much as room air. Your thermostat may say 72 F, but your pot on a tile floor may be sitting at 55 F. Fix this by elevating pots on boards or stands. Use Styrofoam. Never keep pots directly on cold tile o windowsill
• Extra winter heat: Space heaters are fine if used smartly. Do not blow hot air directly on plants. Keep heaters away from cords, trays, and water. Oil filled radiators are the safest option for plant rooms.
• Use a humidifier if you want growth or want to prevent spider mites. But do not blow mist directly onto leaves. Always place the unit lower than the plant canopy.
• Grouping helps. Put tropical plants close together to share humidity. Do not mix succulents with humidity lovers.
• Cats and dogs love to knock over lights and stands. Secure your fixtures. Trust us.
• Airflow: Light airflow is healthy. Direct fan blast is not. Still, dry corners invite mites.
• A mild night drop is OK. A big one below 55 F will stop growth completely.

A mandevilla thriving indoors with bright pink blooms and glossy green leaves.

☂️ PLACEMENT: MICROCLIMATES RULE EVERYTHING

Indoors is one big tradeoff: light but cold near windows, warm but dim away from them. The winning combo is a warm room with supplemental light.

Best zones to keep plants in winter:

• South or east windows with additional light
• Warm living spaces
• Bright bathrooms for natural humidity

Worst zones to keep plants in winter:

• Behind curtains
• Directly on windowsills
• Near heaters or vents
• Against cold exterior walls
• Dark corners without supplemental lighting

A vigorous indoor philodendron stretching across the window.

💨 ACCLIMATION

Moving a plant from outdoors to indoors is a shock. Light drops. Humidity drops. Airflow stops. Soil cools. Even healthy plants may drop some leaves for a few weeks. That is normal.

Before you bring them inside:

• Rinse foliage to remove dust and pests. We recommend Sunshine NoBug - and organic, safe solution.
• Check for ants.
• Trim weak branches.
• Treat soil if fungus gnats are present.

Try to bring plants inside before the first cold front, not after. If you are reading this too late, do the prep now and expect a little leaf drop.

If you nail light and temperature, winter becomes simple. In the next mail-list we will cover watering, fertilizer timing, humidity, and other indoor tricks that keep tropicals happy till spring. Stay tuned.

Cat Bob is inspecting his indoor garden around the tub with a bright skylight

✔️ WINTER INDOOR FAQ: TEMPERATURE AND PLACEMENT

Q: Why are leaves dropping only on the window side?
A: Cold glass. The room may be warm, but the glass surface can be much colder.

Q: Is a cold room OK for tropicals?
A: They may survive, but they will not grow below about 65F to 75F. When nights stay below 65F for a week, many plants enter dormancy.

Q: My room feels warm. Why is my plant still not growing?
A: Check the soil temperature. Pots on cold tile can be 10 to 20F colder than the air.

Q: Can plants sit directly on the floor?
A: Not on cold tile. Always elevate them on boards, stands, or trays.

Q: Is it OK to keep plants near a heater or vent?
A: No. Vents and heaters blast hot, dry air and cause crispy leaves and mites.

Q: My plant is dropping leaves after coming indoors. Why?
A: Normal acclimation to reduced light and humidity right after the move.

Q: Can I keep plants in a bright bathroom?
A: Yes. Bathrooms can have good humidity. Just keep pots off cold tile.

Q: Do I need a humidifier?
A: Not for survival. Yes if you want better growth and fewer pests like spider mites.

Q: Do I need a grow tent?
A: No. A bright LED plus a warm room is enough for winter holding.

Q: Should I fertilize in winter?
A: Not now. Winter fertilizer rules will be covered in the next mail-list.

Q: Should I water the same as in summer?
A: No. Indoor plants need much less water in winter. Watering rules also coming soon.

🛒 Shop Indoor Garden

📚 Learn more:

• Bring the Jungle Inside: Winter Survival Guide Part 1: Lighting
• SUNSHINE NoBug - Natural Plant Protector
• How to overwinter tropical plants indoors
• Feeding indoor plants
• Overwintering Adeniums outside of tropics
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How to get Jasmines to flower

Q: On the picture, these are a few of the jasmine plants that I have from Top Tropicals. I have bought so many plants from you over the years, not just jasmine. I have several varieties of jasmine. They were all doing very well. However this year I didn't get a single flower. There are a lot of buds... But before the buds open they become brown and withered. I bought fertilizer from you. Fertilized the plants once a month like I always do. I water the plants once a week. I repotted the plants hoping that would take care of this problem. Some of the jasmine plants I pruned... the plants came back vigorous growth with a lot of buds... BUT it is the same problem! Please help.

A: One of the possible reasons why they have flower issues is - maybe they don't have enough sunlight. They need to be in full sun all day long for profuse blooming and proper flower forming. However since the buds are forming, there may be just enough light. In this case, dropping buds may be a sign of overwatering.

Important steps - how to make Jasmine Sambac flower:

1. Soil. Use only well-drained soil

2. Water. Keep plants on a dry side and never over water. If the top of the soil is still moist, do not water.

3. Sun. Keep in full sun all day long. The more sun, the more flowers.

4. Bloom booster. Use Flower booster fertilizers:
Pink N Good Daily Plant Food - Flower Booster
Fragrant Plant Special booster, this 90-day Smart-Release container plant food:
Plumeria Top Dress - Smart-Release Booster
Do not use fertilizers with high Nitrogen (1st number in NPK formula) - those will promote more leaves instead of flowers.

5. Micro-elements. Use Apply micro-elements, they will help the plant to develop healthy and long-lasting flowers:
SUNSHINE SuperFood - plant booster

Here is more information on growing Jasmine

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How to establish a Mango Tree

Q: I received my mango tree from you on Monday and it looked beautiful. I followed the instructions and kept it out of direct sun. I watered it a little each day when the potting mix was dry to the touch. But the leaves are turning yellow and brown then falling off. Should I have removed the tree from the soil it was packed in?

A: Leaf drop and dry/yellow leaves are normal symptoms of shipping stress. Your mango tree looks healthy overall. Considering you have high humidity now in Louisiana, the plant should recover soon under proper care. These are important tips:

- Keep the plant in bright shade, away from direct sun - at least for a week, then you may start moving it gradually to semi-shade, then to full sun within a few days.
- Do not over-water. If the top of the soil is still moist, do not water until it dries a little bit. Mango prefers to stay on a dry side. From this point, over-watering is more dangerous than under-watering. You may skip a watering if in doubt.
- If it rains every day, make sure to keep the pot under the roof to protect from excessive water.
- Do not remove original soil and do not disturb roots.
- You used the right container size and looks like you have a quality soil with good drainage. Keep the plant in this container at least for a few months. You may step it up only when you see a lot of active growth of branches and leaves - this means, the root system is developing fast too.
- do not fertilize until you see new growth. Then use Mango Food Smart release.
- to help the plant recover from stress, you may use SUNSHINE-E booster and micro-element foliar spray with SUNSHINE-Superfood

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