By the time March rolls around some houseplants have out stayed their welcome in our homes. Pest problems, messy littering of old leaves, and lack of strong growth and colour can be the norm and you may be getting tired of hosting these offenders for the winter.

If your houseplants are frustrating you, please know that you are not alone. Last week I sent to the curb the fern I intended to overwinter. It was too messy in our home and I no longer wanted to leave the vacuum cleaner beside it, plugged in, ready to suck up the wafting, dry fronds. I had had enough.

Many plants what were originally outdoor plants, like tropicals or foliage plants, suffer when they are over wintered indoors. During the winter, the light qualities are compromised in our homes, due to low-E glass windows and a weak winter sun, and plants that have been vigorously growing in the warm late summer sun are shocked when brought indoors. Not only are the light qualities lower, but our homes are dry and air tight. Our heating systems keep the air dry and our quest to be energy efficient force our homes to be lacking natural humidity and moisture. In this unnatural environment the plants lose a lot of leaves and any new growth tends to be weak in vigour and colour.

If you stick it out with these plants, know that as long as the plant has life in it (lightly scratch the bark or stock on a tropical plant to see if there is green underneath), you can put it outdoors as a shadow of its former self and still bring it back to glory. Kyle, the greenhouse manager at Griffin’s, often jokes at putting out his “hibis-stick” each spring, after all of the leaves fall off through the winter. Be sure to wait until all threat of frost is over before you slowly put any plant that spent the winter indoors outside. Gradually re-introduce it to the sunshine to avoid the sun burn effect.

While indoors, all houseplants benefit from consistent watering and prefer locations that are far from blasts of cool temperatures or forced heat, like wood stoves or furnace vents. In April or May, when the spring sun begins to have more strength and sunny windows in our homes become favorable again, you can re-introduce houseplant fertilizer (a specific liquid fertilizer or an all-purpose water soluble version, cut to half strength) to your watering routine and you will see growth and improved leaf colour. New growth will be stronger and more attractive than the spindly growth you may have had in the winter months.

Pests can be controlled on houseplants by catching the problem early. Check leaves (tops and undersides) each time you water. Watch for dust-like residue on leaves, speck-like bugs on stems or leaves and little fruit fly-like pests circling your plants and resting on the soil. If you have a problem and catch it early, you are much more likely to fix it with one or two applications of a good insecticidal soap, like Safer’s End-All.

There is great benefit to sticking it out with houseplants in these challenging winter months. Plants in our homes offer cleaner air and lift our spirits. Plants perk up dull areas, reinforce the home owner’s personality and design style and generally, make a house, a home.

But what if you’ve already tossed out houseplants this winter or you don’t really “do” houseplants? The health and style benefits and a touch of Spring can still be introduced to home by using pots of spring bulbs. Fresh pots of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and crocus are readily available in good garden centres. Unique items like “pussy willow” plants, succulents, cyclamen, and heather can be found and enjoyed for months with few special requirements and care issues since these are fresh, new plants intended for seasonal use for a short period on your home.

With the onset of Spring, our homes become less dependent on dry heat, our windows open for a few hours each day and our dry, air tight winter homes transition to a more comfortable environment for the plants that remain indoors all year. Plants that are just visiting for the winter can go back outdoors, causing less mess and fuss and making them happy to be alive and thrive. And we, as their care-givers, can be happy and proud that we all made to Spring.