The cold weather has officially arrived. Winter brings mixed feelings for me – after a long, hot summer filled with full-on plant care, I usually look forward to taking it a bit easier over winter time as growing (and caring!) slows down. But, when the winter blues start hitting my plants, it inevitably hits me, too.

While summer care consists of watering, fertilising, pruning, propagating, repotting and such, winter indoor plant care is different. With fewer daylight hours and cooler temperatures, my plants either completely stop growing or slow down their growth quite dramatically. Since they are growing very slowly, or not at all, my plants now hardly require any care, or water for that matter.

Winter can be quite a sensitive time for many houseplants, many of which hail from the tropics. It’s much, much easier to kill a plant in winter than in summer. With that said, here is a list of dos and don’ts for winter care (and the list of don’ts being much more important than the list of dos).

My number one winter rule is to not water unless my plants are really asking for it.

Since most growth has come to a halt, the plants are using close to no water. This means that any water will hang around in the soil for much longer, and cold and wet soil is not good news for most houseplants (it’s an open invitation for root rot).

Root rot is my top enemy in winter (in summer, it’s pests). Remember the rule of thumb: warm and wet soil is OK, cold and wet soil is dangerous territory.

READ MORE: * Coffee, tea or fig leaf? Visit the perfect cafe for houseplant lovers * Legends of the fall: how to make the most of cascading houseplants * Houseplants for that jungle vibe

So I play it safe by not watering my plants at all, unless they are begging for a drink. Some signs that a plant needs water include:

With time and experience, you’ll be able to tell if a plant needs water by just glancing at it. Some are easier to judge than others, of course. I always find it surprising how long my plants can go without a drink in winter – weeks, sometimes even months.

Remember that it’s much easier to kill most houseplants by overwatering rather than under-watering, even in summer.

Since fertilising is only required when plants are actively growing, I don’t fertilise my plants at all during winter.

If any of my plants are still growing, I might fertilise very sparingly (only every few weeks and then at half strength).

I start fertilising again once I notice my plants are growing again, usually in late spring.

If you still have plants that you’d like to repot, wait until the weather has warmed up significantly. Disturbing your houseplants’ roots while the weather is cold is a good way to kill them. I once dropped a Hoya bella in the middle of winter, the soil and the plant went flying everywhere.

I potted her back up and hoped for the best, but alas, she never recovered and is now dead. Had this happened in the middle of summer, it would have been a different story. Lesson learned.

Many of my plants suddenly put out smaller leaves as we get closer to winter. Many of them will pack a sad, and yellow leaves are everywhere to be seen (this is normal). As long as it is only a few of the lower leaves that are yellowing, I don’t worry. If the whole plant goes yellow, something is wrong (I probably overwatered).

Some of my plants might conk out entirely. Every winter, I still end up losing a plant or two. Forgive yourself and forgive your plants. Tip: If a plant is dying dramatically, it’s worth reading up about it to see if it might just be going dormant (Cissus discolor, caladiums, alocasias and Dioscorea discolor to name a few).

A handful of plants are actually winter growers – such as Dioscorea elephantipes – so don’t be too surprised if some of your plants do the opposite of what you expect.

I keep an eye on the light and note how far the sun’s rays are reaching into my house.

Since the sun’s trajectory is lower in the sky, some rays are suddenly landing directly on my plants and I usually have to move them, or hang a sheer curtain. Generally the winter sun is not as harsh but it’s well worth being aware of it.

Here’s more on how to get the right amount of light for your houseplants.

Since I could easily leave my house for a few weeks and not worry about watering my plants, this is the perfect time to go on holiday.

I almost always plan my vacations (especially if I’m heading abroad) for winter time.

I supplement with grow lights in winter since the light in my house changes so drastically over the seasons.

My house is down in a valley and in the middle of winter I get no more than two hours of direct sun on the house each day. Giving my plants some extra light helps with fighting off some winter blues and keeping them somewhat more resilient.

I insulate my conservatory in winter and try not to let the temperature drop below 15C (the highest risk of this happening is at night as temperatures plummet).

Ideally, no less than 18C would be ideal (most of my plants are tropical) but the heating does end up eating deep into my pocket!

If you have a well insulated house, then this might not be necessary, but my conservatory is half inside and half outside so it does tend to get cold, especially overnight.

I have an electric fan heater that is attached to a thermostat which prevents the temperature from dropping too low.

I haven’t had any mass casualties with this method – it’s not the balmy 25C that they’d prefer, but they hold up well.

If you use a heat pump, your air might get very dry. Most houseplants prefer a humidity level of at least 50-60%.

If you want to pamper your plants, invest in a humidifier (it’s good for your skin, too). I use a fogger in my conservatory but a humidifier is perfectly good for using indoors.

I have special setup which allows me to keep growing some plants (like my beloved begonias) by using big see-through plastic tubs with lids, a well-lit window and heat mats. This keeps my green heart going, and when the weather warms up, my propagations are ready to join the other plants for the growing season.

Since I have so much free time on my hands, I use the opportunity to do some deep cleaning and checking.

I love using Yates Conqueror Oil to wipe down all my plants (all of them!). This removes dust and adds a protective film over the leaves, which protects them from pests. And since I’m getting up close and personal with every leaf, it really helps me spot any pests (scale is easy to miss).

Once spring arrives, pests can start poking their nasty heads out in droves, so a film of conqueror oil gives my plants a good head start.

By the end of winter, I’m pining for some growth and can’t wait for my plants to wake up and be their happy selves again. I love the contrast that winter gives though (and the break) and I’m thankful for it every year.