When it gets too cold outside, potted flowers are brought indoors for the winter. The short winter days put the flowers into a dormant phase. The dormant phase is mainly caused by the reduced exposure to light. However, flowers can also be made to bloom indoors in winter if they are given the right living environment. It is important to know what each plant species needs in order to bloom. If you provide them with a good climate, you can enjoy pretty flowers all year round.

 

Changing the climate in your home is more difficult than changing the flowers. So if possible, when buying new flowers, you should make sure that you get ones that will thrive under the given conditions in your home. Flowers that require less sunlight are best. The plants should be healthy and have rich foliage when you buy them. It is good if they already have buds.

The flowers should be fertilised regularly with special flower fertiliser according to instructions.

The plants should be watered sufficiently, but not too much. The soil should always be moist, but not wet. It is best to use rainwater or boiled water for watering.

The flowers should be in a place where there are no drastic temperature fluctuations. If the plants become too cold overnight, they will not flower and may even die.

The amount of sunlight that each individual flower needs to bloom varies and should be enquired about from a specialised dealer. During the extremely short winter days or if the location is too dark with too little natural light, it is advisable to install special plant lamps. These are set to the desired number of hours using a timer so that the flowers receive regular periods of light. The plants should be kept in the dark overnight.

 

Tip: If a plant is transported in winter, it should be well wrapped up en route so that it does not become hypothermic. It is best to wrap it in newspaper. Even half an hour in frosty temperatures can kill the plant. When transporting a plant in summer, it should not be left in a hot car for too long.