VIVOSUN 2 Pack Durable Waterproof Seedling Heat Mat Warm Hydroponic Heating Pad 10 x 20.75 Inch

 VIVOSUN 2 Pack Durable Waterproof Seedling Heat Mat Warm Hydroponic Heating Pad 10 x 20.75 Inch

•  RELIABLE RESULTS: VIVOSUN's professional heat mat maintains temperatures in the sweet spot of around 10℉-20℉ above ambient air temperature - perfect for seed starting and cutting propagation!
• BUILT TO LAST: Supple, flexible and ultra-durable, VIVOSUN goes beyond stringent MET standards, with a fortified connection between mat and power cord, water-resistance that enables safe scrubbing and a 1-year warranty.
• STABLE, UNIFORM HEAT: VIVOSUN's strengthened Alloy Nikrothal heating wire and extra layer of insulating PET film ensure this durable mat never scorches your roots and produces lots of revitalizing dew when used with a humidity dome.
• BEST SAVINGS IN THE MARKET: This 10" x 20.75" mat is perfect for standard 1020 trays and slightly larger than comparable mats on the market; it also runs on only 18 Watts to help you save on electricity.
• CONVENIENT STORAGE: Delivered in a high-quality, reusable storage bag, the mat flattens out when heating up and can also be rolled back up for easy storage.
• power source type: Air Powered

Tips for Your Indoor Plants During the Winter

Something that should be clear to us is that the winter season is rarely ideal for growing plants outdoors. Of course, unless you live in a warm and tropical area where the climate is fairly stable and the sun is hot practically all year round.

Luckily there are plants that can live and even thrive indoors. As long as we know how to protect them from the cold and give them the proper care, they will stay beautiful until the weather warms up again and we can return them to the balcony or terrace. Here are some useful tips.

Where to put them in winter

Whether they are plants that live inside your house all year round, or that you have brought them indoors to protect them from the winter cold, where you place them is of the utmost importance. Since you must not only protect them from inclement weather, but also choose a place where they can thrive for several months.

Find them a place away from the heating, since these devices tend to overheat the environment and reduce the little humidity that exists in the air in the interior spaces. Most ornamental plants are tropical species, so they prefer places with certain levels of humidity such as the kitchen or bathroom. 

Also be sure to place them away from open doors or windows, where very cold breezes are constantly blowing in. Ideally, keep them at a fairly constant temperature.

What kind of light do they need?

The ideal place to place them should have good light above all. Ideally, it should be filtered natural light coming through the windows. But if the days are too cloudy and dark, give them a little help with some artificial light.

Many plants can survive for some time in poor light, but you will surely notice a decline. This does not mean that they are dying, but that they have stopped the production of new leaves to rest and adapt to the new environmental conditions. Once the weather changes they will start to recover quickly.

When to water them

One of the most common mistakes when we take plants indoors is in the matter of watering. Indoor plants need to be watered very differently from those we keep outdoors, especially during the winter time.

A rule to follow is the following: the less sun and heat, the lower the risks. When we water our plants, they usually absorb only a portion of the water in the soil. The rest tends to evaporate with the light and heat provided by the sun, or passes into the deeper layers of the ground.

In the case of potted plants and indoors, the water tends to be kept in the ground longer, as it evaporates less easily. Then watering too much, the only thing that will do is create pools of water that will end up rotting the roots of your plants.

What about fertilizer

When the winter time comes the weather gets colder and the days shorter. Plants know this, so they take the opportunity to take a break in the production of branches, leaves and flowers. Therefore they do not need additional food, as the fabric factory will be closed for a while.

The ideal is to fertilize in the times of greatest sun, which go from spring to autumn. If you fertilize in times of cold and little sun, you will stimulate the plants to produce tissues without enough sun to develop. Then these can come out somewhat atrophied and even burn with the cold.

When to take them outside

Once the sun begins to warm up, the days get longer and you know that there will be no more frosts in the garden, it is time to take your plants out to the balcony or terrace. This usually happens in early to mid spring.

Remember that your plants have been indoors for a few months with little sunlight. So the ideal is to remove them gradually. That is, place them in a place with good but filtered light, not under direct sunlight.