Watering
Watering Schedules
How to judge dry-down by weight and finger test, and why the calendar is a poor guide indoors.
Read the guide →Indoor Houseplant Care · Canada
Indoor growing conditions in Canada shift sharply between a humid summer and a dry, heated winter. These reference guides cover how to read those changes for the species most often kept indoors — pothos, snake plant, peace lily, monstera, and the fiddle-leaf fig.
Seasonal swing
Forced-air heating common across Canadian winters pulls indoor humidity well below what most tropical foliage prefers, changing how often pots dry out.
Short daylight
From December through February, daylight is short and low-angled. South-facing windows do most of the work for light-hungry species.
Growth rhythm
Most houseplants put on growth from late spring through summer, which is the practical window for moving them into a larger pot.
Reference guides
Each guide is organised around a single task and the species detailed below it. They are written to be checked against the plant in front of you, not memorised.
Watering
How to judge dry-down by weight and finger test, and why the calendar is a poor guide indoors.
Read the guide →
Light
Reading window aspect and distance, and matching it to bright, medium, and low-light tolerant species.
Read the guide →
Repotting
When a plant is genuinely root-bound, how to size up a pot, and how to settle roots without shock.
Read the guide →How to read these pages
Care advice that travels as a fixed rule — “water once a week” — tends to fail because it ignores pot size, soil mix, and the air in a given room. The guides here describe how to observe those variables, then list how each common species responds.
The five species shown across this site are the ones most widely sold for indoor use in Canada and the ones most forgiving of the indoor swing between summer humidity and winter dryness.
| Species | Light | Dry-down |
|---|---|---|
| Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) | Medium, indirect | Top third dries |
| Snake plant (Sansevieria) | Low to bright | Most of pot dries |
| Peace lily (Spathiphyllum) | Medium, indirect | Stays evenly moist |
| Monstera deliciosa | Bright, indirect | Top half dries |
| Fiddle-leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) | Bright, indirect | Top third dries |
A starting reference only — verify against the plant, pot, and room.
Contact
Use the form to send a correction or a question about any of the care references. Provide a phone number only if you would prefer a callback.