How to keep your summer plants alive during a Saskatchewan winter

This piece was originally published on Sept. 30, 2018.

The last place you will find a Saskatchewanianduring winter is close to a window.Even so, your succulents and cacti belong on the windowsill.

"When we move them indoors and they're hanging out in fall and winter, we've got lower light, we've got shorter days, which really don't provide succulents with the ideal growing conditions," said Kait Waugh, owner of Fat Plant Farm in Regina.

Waugh literally created a business out of her love for plants. That business has expanded a lot over the last year, thanks largely to succulents being trendy right now.

"It's an easy way to welcome theoutdoors inside your home. Outside feels good. Nature feels good. Succulents take up such a small amount of space that they're easy for people who don't necessarily have a ton of room," she said.

Waugh said all the different varieties make them like collectibles. They're also low maintenance compared to tropical plants. They don't require humidity or consistently moist soil.

Waugh gave CBC News five tips to help "plant parents" keep their "children" alive through the winter months.

1. Move them indoors

There are a few varieties of succulents, like hens and chicks (sempervivums), than can stay outside over winter. Even thenthere needs to be a lot of leaves over top of them and spring cannot be too wet. Translation: it's a gamble.

For the most part succulents they will die if you leave them outside.

Because they're not actively growing, you're just kind of giving the roots of your plants a drink of water.- Kait Waugh

2. Pick the sunniest spot in your home

Waugh says the best place is an east, south or west facing windowsill, where your plants will get the opportunity to soak in some direct sunlight.

"That is key because you're avoiding your plant stretching out with not enough sunlight," she said, adding that being sort of close to a window on a coffee table is not close enough.

There are some low-light succulents that don't require being in full sun all the time, like a snake plant (also known as mother in law's tongue), haworthias and aloes, but they still need some light.

"If you've got those near a north-facing window, that would receive no direct sunlight, you don't want to go any further than four feet," she said.

If you are keeping a succulent in a low-light area, temporarily move it to a sunny spot for watering. This gives the plant a chance to take up that water.

3. Be mindful of growing seasons

Spring and summer is when succulents grow the most. Waugh says that when we get into fall and winter days that have shorter daylight hours and cooler temperatures,you want to encourage your plant to go dormant and stop actively growing.

To do that, you reduce the amount of watering by a lot.

"You're just kind of giving the roots of your plants a drink of water. You want to keep that in the sunniest spot on a windowsill and if it's a little bit cooler, it will help keep it in the sleepy, slumber state," she said.

That sleepy state also means you don't want to re-pot your plants in winter. If you're breaking up big arrangements from planters outside, put the plants in pots that are the same size as the current root-structure. This is important to keep the plant dormant through winter. Giving a succulent more space to grow could encourage it to do just that.

Survival guide: keeping summer plants alive in Saskatchewan winter

6 years ago

Duration 1:26

Survival guide: keeping summer plants alive in Saskatchewan winter

4. Only water on a sunny day

This will maximize your plant's ability to take up that water.

"If you're watering on an overcast day or at nighttime, there's a greater chance that that water is going to hangout in the soil and not be taken up by your plant," Waugh said. "That, might, over time, increase thechance of those roots rotting and eventually killing your whole plant."

Even if it looks like your plant needs a drink, waiting a day or two until it is sunny again is better. Always err on the side of waiting rather than over-watering.

5. Don't throw away leaves or cuttings

If you knock a leaf off your plant, keep it. Those are potential future plants. Set the leaf or leaves to the side in a sunny place. Be patient. When you see roots and shoots coming out, it's time to act.

"At that point, you can set it on top of some dry soil (in a small dish) and just allow that new little baby plant to use the energy that is stored in the original leaf," Waugh said. "It requires patience and it's a little bit of a slower process during winter time. But that's the exciting thing about plants watching your babies grow. It's so rewarding."