Thank you for coming to Plant Market in Ft Myers

Kristi Vanbenschoten, Top Tropicals manager, and Persephone the cat

Thank you to everyone who came out and supported our Holiday Plant Market last Saturday, December 13, 2025. It was great to see familiar faces, meet new visitors, and watch the garden fill with people exploring, asking questions, and choosing new plants to take home. Our CatsPeople were busy greeting guests, supervising carts, and making sure everyone felt welcome. Your support and good energy are what make these events special for us. We hope your new plants settle in beautifully, and we look forward to seeing you back in the garden soon!

Check out Event Mementos

Watch slideshow of the Event

🌿 Bring the Jungle Inside: Winter Survival Guide. Watering and Humidity❄️

💦 Water, Humidity, and the Small Things That Decide Who Makes It to Spring

Smokey: "Still damp. No watering today."
Sunshine: "Great. I am excellent at not watering."
Smokey: "You have been practicing not doing any work your whole life."

In Part 1 we covered light, in Part 2 - temperature, placement, and acclimation.
This part is about the slow killers. The quiet mistakes.

Most winter plant losses come from trying too hard.

💦 Watering: The #1 Winter Killer

Plants drink far less in winter. Light is weaker. Roots stay cold. Growth slows or stops.

Do not water on a schedule. Winter does not care.

Instead:

• water thoroughly
• let excess drain out
• then wait longer than feels comfortable

Before watering, test the soil with your finger.
Water only when the top inch or so is dry.

If the soil below is still cool and damp, do nothing.

Remember from Part 1: cold roots absorb water very slowly.
Wet, cold soil is stress, not help.

💧 Humidity: Invisible Stress

Indoor winter air is dry. Often 20 to 30 percent humidity. Low humidity rarely kills plants outright. It weakens them first.

Misting feels helpful, but it does not fix dry air.

That is why pests show up more in winter.

Signs:

• crispy leaf edges
• curling leaves
• stuck new growth
• spider mites

What helps:

• group plants
• pebble trays
• humidifier. If you have many plants - invest in humidifier
• bathrooms if light allows

🍃 Cleaning Leaves Matters More in Winter

Winter light is already weak. Dust makes it worse.

Clean leaves:

• absorb more light
• breathe better
• show problems earlier

Use a soft cloth and water.
Every few weeks is enough.

🍯 Soil, Pots, and Airflow

Soil dries much slower indoors at lower temperature. Big pots stay wet longer. Cold, wet soil pushes oxygen out of the roots.

That is why rot often appears in winter.

Airflow matters too:

• stagnant air invites mold and mites
• a small fan on low helps a lot

Never let pots sit in water. If you smell sour soil, something is staying wet too long.

❌ Common Winter Mistakes

• watering on schedule
• misting instead of humidifying
• cold windowsills
• pots on cold tile
• wet trays

👉 Quick FAQ

"Soil stays wet forever?"
Too cold, too dark, or pot too large. Water less.

"Crispy leaves but wet soil?"
Low humidity plus overwatering.

"No growth for months?"
Normal. Stability is success in winter.

See part 1 and part 2 in Top Tropicals Garden Blog

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