Find How to Overwinter Tropical Plants Indoors with this guide and have healthy, thriving plants for the coming season.
You don’t have to live in the tropics to enjoy tropical plants. With the proper care, you can keep them alive through the winter and enjoy them all year. If you can bring them indoors and provide the right conditions, you can successfully care for these exotic plants. Once you know what your specific plants need, keeping them healthy becomes simple. Learn How to Overwinter Tropical Plants Indoors below.
Can Tropical Plants Survive Winter?
Tropical plants can only stay outside in winter if the temperature and sunlight are just right. Depending on your garden’s location and climate, some plants might make it through winter with extra care.
In most places, you’ll need to bring tropical plants indoors for the winter. Some can stay inside as houseplants, while others do better in a spot where they can rest until spring.
How to Care for Tropical Plants in Winter
When you add tropical plants to your garden, you have two options: treat them as annuals or care for them through the winter. There are also two ways to overwinter tropical plants, and the best method depends on the type of plant.
- Cut back plants like canna, elephant ears, and caladium that grow from bulbs, corms, or rhizomes and store them in a dormant state for winter.
- Some plants can be cared for in different ways. For example, a mandevilla can be kept indoors as a houseplant, but it will lose many of its leaves. You can also make it go dormant by cutting it back and storing it with other dormant bulbs.
- Keep soft-stemmed tropical plants like hibiscus, umbrella trees, palms, bird of paradise, and cordyline as houseplants in a sunny spot with extra humidity.
Moving Tropical Plants Indoors for Winter Houseplants
Plants that don’t need to go dormant should be placed in a sunny spot indoors. If there isn’t enough sunlight by a window, use artificial lights to help them grow.
Your tropical plant needs warmth and enough humidity, which can be tricky indoors in winter. Keep it away from drafty windows and doors. Use a pebble tray or spray the plant with water often to maintain humidity.
Tropical houseplants won’t go completely dormant, but they will stop growing. Water it less often than in summer, and don’t fertilize it until early spring when you see new growth.
When bringing plants indoors, be sure to check for pests that might come with them. Look carefully for insects and either treat the plant or remove the pests by hand.
How to Overwinter Dormant Bulbs
You can save bulbs, corms, and tubers through winter and replant them in spring.
In the fall, let the leaves die naturally, then gently dig up the tuber or bulb using a garden fork to avoid damage. Cut off any remaining leaves and let them dry in a safe spot. Check for pests before storing the bulbs indoors.
When the tuber is completely dry, gently brush off any leftover dirt. Store it in a breathable, dry container like a brown paper bag, an open plastic bin, or a wooden crate. Dry materials like newspaper, wood shavings, or peat should be used to surround the tuber or bulb and keep it safe.
Keep the dormant plant in a cool, dry spot like a garage or basement, with a temperature between 32 and 55°F (0 to 13°C). You can start growing it indoors before the last spring frost or plant it outside when the soil warms up to at least 65°F (18°C).
Taking care of tropical plants in winter is easy with a little know-how. If your plants lose some leaves at first, don’t worry. They may not thrive indoors like they do outside, but with proper care, they should recover and grow again in spring.