Winter is here, and all of the fallen leaves have left the trees bare. But, just because it’s gloomy outside doesn’t mean you can’t bring the greenery into your home to create your own urban jungle. If you’ve got a green thumb, you might already know the best plants to grow inside. But if not, we’ve put together this handy guide to help you choose the best indoor plants along with top-quality potting soil, compost for planters, and other tips that will guarantee your plants stay vibrant all winter long.
What Plants Can I Grow Indoors This Winter?
Colorama Madagascar Dragon Tree
When making your list of indoor plants, your first thought might be – what will provide that splash of color to brighten things up? Well, look no further than the Madagascar Dragon Tree. It is one of the most popular indoor plants and also the easiest to care for. If you are notorious for accidentally underwatering plants, this one is for you! It can survive weeks and sometimes months without water. Some species have green, red, and even yellow in their leaves. They are slow growers, but once they mature, they can serve as an eye-catching focal point in your home. They are known to improve air quality but please bear in mind that they are toxic to cats and dogs.
Parlor Palm
If you’re a beginner, then the low-maintenance Parlor Palm is a great option. Hailing from Central America, this lovely plant with deep green foliage will undoubtedly give your home a jungle vibe. The Parlor Palm is popular for winter because it can handle lower light and temperatures. However, like many palms, they are sensitive to overwatering or sitting in oversaturated soil. Despite handling lower temperatures, they should not be in temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Poinsettia
When we think of Christmas plants, the Poinsettia certainly comes to mind first. This decorative house plant from Mexico is perfect for the holidays and will require a good amount of filtered sun, warmth, and water to thrive, so be sure to place them near a sunny window and water regularly. Also, if your home tends to get dry throughout winter, consider investing in a small space humidifier to increase humidity levels in the area surrounding your Poinsettia.
Succulents
Succulents are rugged, versatile plants that have become popular over the last few years. With hundreds of varieties such as the well-known Aloe Vera, Panda Plant, Burro’s Tail, and the Christmas Cactus, they are another low maintenance plant for anyone to grow, including beginners. With the proper drainage, these plants will thrive indoors. Plus, they make your home look trendy and exotic! Succulents are also easily propagated in a few simple steps so you can grow as many as your heart desires.
What Potting Soil And Soil Amendments Are Best For My Indoor Plants?
The ideal soil is made up of a balance between clay, sand, loam, organic matter, minerals, water, and air. At Lyngso, we believe in the soil food web combining a healthy balance of microorganisms to create organic and living soil, providing a sustainable long life for your plants.
Potting Mix Blend
Our potting mix blend is a customized soil for planters. With Sandy Loam Soil as a base, it contains a mixture of 5/16″ Horticulture Lava, Coarse Sand, Organic Garden Compost, 1/4″-Fir Bark, Ligna Peat, Organic Feather Meal, and Organic Fish Bone Meal. It comes as a ready-made proprietary blend, so all you have to do is simply fill your containers with this nutritious soil for pots. It can also be used as a soil amendment to aerate and retain water within the soil. Just spread it 2-3 inches over the top and mix it in with the existing soil.
5/16″ Horticulture Lava
Horticulture Lava is a lightweight amendment perfect for aerating soil mixes for succulents, cacti, and other plants requiring ample drainage. If your indoor planters don’t have a drainage hole, you can place the lava rocks at the bottom of the planter to prevent drowning them. The rocks create space for excess water to pool.
Mini Mulch Fir Bark
Give your house plants a visual aesthetic and consistency with mini mulch fir bark. This mini mulch is perfect for potted plants because it will decompose over time and turn into soil amendment, which is healthy for the longevity of your plants. Mini mulch fir bark will also insulate roots in the winter months, protecting them from lower temperatures. Additionally, fir bark dramatically reduces evaporation and increases moisture retention, so plants like Poinsettias and tropical houseplants require less watering.
Should I Use Compost For Indoor Plants?
Compost is nutrient-rich food for plants, so it is excellent for improving their quality of life, whether for a vegetable garden or houseplants, to keep them thriving and happy.
Bu’s Compost Tea for House Plants
Bu’s Compost Tea is our proprietary blend made specifically for all of your indoor plants. This compost is brimming with nutrients such as (organic dairy cow manure, vineyard chips), dandelion, chamomile, stinging nettle, yarrow, oak bark, valerian, kelp, worm castings. Some of the benefits of this compost tea include improving plant growth creating more robust and healthier plants that mitigate transplant shock. Additionally, it feeds more diverse biology to the soil, enhancing the bioavailability of nutrients and trace minerals and helps retain the nutrients, improving plant longevity.
SeaCoast Compost
SeaCoast compost is a premium, biodynamic compost crafted from a combination of the most refined sea and land ingredients. The organic waste is gathered from three pristine Oregon coast industries, with these high-quality inputs blended, resulting in nutrient-rich compost. The mixture includes fish, shrimp, and crab leftovers from seafood processing, alder hardwood from the lumber industry, cow manure, and bedding from organic dairies. They add homeopathic preparations to enliven the compost and stimulate plants to maximize their effectiveness in their environments. The resulting compost offers a feast for your house plants and garden alike.
Take on the fun project of brightening up your home this winter with hardy houseplants, our proprietary potting mix, and nutrient-rich compost. Between our suggestions and your own creative flair, you can turn a dull home into a vibrant, green, thriving urban jungle in no time.
If you’re looking for more ideas of how to decorate your home with easy-care plants or how to improve your novice skills to take care of more challenging plants, then check out one of our many recorded classes. Curate an Urban Jungle is taught by Kan Parthiban, Lyngso’s Sustainability Director. You can also contact us at Lyngso. Our trained staff will help you with all of your planting needs.