Fiddle leaf figs are one plant that might need relocating during winter,due to its light needs.Credit:iStock
He and his partner,Kina Lin-Wilmoth,currently live in a 27th-level city apartment full of palms,orchids,ferns,peace lilies,a rubber tree,a variegated monstera (that Minton bought for $500 in 2018 after saving all his tips while working as a waiter) and many other plants.
Few indoor growers are as diehard as Minton. But just as his plants are arranged in a way that highlights their individual forms,he says he has noticed indoor growers increasingly homing in on plants with interesting shapes.
A dwarf schefflera (Heptapleurum arboricola),for instance,might be pruned to make a focal point of its negative space. Its stems could even be wired like bonsai so that they strike out at jaunty angles. An elephant’s foot (Dioscorea elephantipes) might be displayed to make a show of its sculptural,woody-looking stem,or a mistletoe fig (Ficus deltoidea) could be positioned to accentuate its bold leaves.
Loading
But with such considered arrangements,there’s less room for error. Brown spots,yellowing,wilting or any other sign of malaise are hard to hide without the cover of a jungle or other greenery. If you are going to pare things back,what remains needs to thrive.
So what are Minton’s tips for tending healthy houseplants in the cooler months?
His central piece of advice is to remember that even though your plants are growing between four walls and under a roof,they are not static like furniture. You have to keep an eye on them and be attuned to their changing needs.