Cultivating Indoor Plants in the Winter with Sustainability Majors
As many of you know, cultivating plants in residence halls during the winter months can be difficult. Sustainability majors Leah Whitacre ’23 and John Mamas ’23 guide us with tips from their own indoor plant cultivation experiments.
How Plants Help Mental Health During Winter Months
A philodendron. Image courtesy of John Mamas.
Being connected to nature often looks different in the winter. The winter is a time when the semester picks up, so it is harder to focus on going outside... and due to Pittsburgh weather, it is usually very cold. “Having some green in my space is helpful as a reminder of the world when it is not cold. Winter can get you in a slump, so taking opportunities to grow plants or go to greenhouses keeps me positive,” John Mamas says. Cultivating plants indoors has aesthetic value, but also replicates a nature walk in your own room. Leah Whitacre began taking care of plants during quarantine and she recounts, “it is helpful to have green things in my space because being outside is good for my mental health. Navigating Pennsylvania winters being stuck indoors, when leaves are not on the trees, it is important to have something green in my space.”
Plants to Nurture in the Winter
Currently, Leah is taking care of a spider plant, peacock plant, aloe, Christmas cactus, snake plant, umbrella plant, monstera, and arrowhead plant. The peacock plant is especially fun because it sprouts new leaves during the winter. John is currently growing ferns, palms, asparagus, a heartleaf philodendron, and an herb garden.
Techniques for Low-Light and Low Temperature Conditions
Navigating dorm life with plants is a trial and error process. It’s important to get enough light and moderate temperatures for them to sustain life. Leah approaches the process by creating an excel spreadsheet to monitor the different needs of her plants. Both Leah and John provided these tips for stabilizing and growing plants during the winter:
1. Double-bagging them with a trash bag when transporting in the cold
2. Bottom-water your plants to ensure just enough water
3. Place plants at south-facing windows or buy a plant light (red-blue lightbulbs are best)
4. If plants need more moisture, put them near the shower or buy a humidifier if your residence hall allows
5. While most houseplants adjust to indoor temperatures, space heaters can help if there is a significant draft in your space
Places to Go for New Plants
Go to local greenhouses in the Pittsburgh area to experience nature. They do all of the plant growing and conservation for you, but it is a great break from the monotony of winter. John suggests visiting Phipps Conservatory for their recent tropical orchids show, Chapon’s Greenhouse and Supply in Homestead, Shadyside Nursery, and City Grows in Lawrenceville for personalized shopping slots to talk to a seller.
Creating opportunities for green things to grow is just one part of sustainability studies. Click the link to explore all that a sustainability major has to offer!
