Summer Plant Care – Best tips to protect indoor plants from the summer heat

The heat of Summer is finally here! In some intense summer conditions especially when temperatures exceed 35 °C for several days and nights in a row, indoor plants, like us, can suffer and be weakened due to the heat and lack of water and light. As known, summer is not a period of vegetative rest, but on the contrary of full growth, the reason why they require special attention and monitoring. 

Indeed, after several days, no need to be a botanist to observe the signs that appear due to the intense drought : the leaves turn yellow, the earth cracks, the flowers fade…

Fortunately, there are some tips and key points to avoid unpleasant surprises and keep your houseplants in healthy shape during summer.

How to take care of plants during summer? Here are some tips: 

1- Protect your indoor plants from strong sun rays

2- Choose Hardy Houseplants

3- Water well, and water deeply

4- Keep your interior cool 

5- Avoid fertilizing, repotting or pruning your indoor plants during summer

6- Clean your houseplants

7- Learn to recognize stress

1- Protect your indoor plants from strong sun rays

We all love and wait for summer to enjoy the bright warm sunbeams and the beautiful long sunny days, but sometimes too much sun can make us and our lovely ones (plants and pets) completely sunburned if we don’t adopt certain gestures on a daily basis.    

Sun-loving plants and shade-loving plants need different amounts of sun rays and so different care tips. 

Shade plants

To protect your shade-loving plants from dying, you need to put them as far as possible from the sun’s rays coming from a window or a door and use covers if necessary. 

Sun plants

Sun-loving houseplants need more light to flourish and darkness could be fatal, but in summer, it is preferable to remove all of your exposed plants near a bay window because they receive 4 times more light than if they were placed at 2 meters, thing that can burn the foliage.

You can also arrange your houseplants so that the large indoor plants shade the smaller ones, which are also the most fragile. They will benefit from a little more freshness.

2- Choose Hardy Houseplants

Opt for resilient and low-maintenance indoor plants in the summer such as bird of paradise, Monstera deliciosa, Sansevieria, and succulents. 

3- Water well, and water deeply

How often should you water your indoor plants? In summer the high temperatures dry up the indoor plants, which is why watering is essential. It will be necessary to control its level of watering and plan a regular water supply. To know when to water your houseplants, touch the soil and check if it is sticky and fresh. In this case, do not water. If it is warm and dry, you can water.

Likewise, always remember to water your houseplants in the evening and not in the morning. When you water in the evening, the water is absorbed by the roots the next day and ensures freshness throughout the day. Be careful thought that the water is at room temperature and not cold.

4- Keep your interior cool 

The importance of plants in the embellishment and humidification of our interior spaces is indisputable, but summer heat can lower the amount of humidity and our indoor plants can suffer negative effects, that is why a cool interior is a key condition for successfully protecting them. You can provide a little humidity by using and air-conditioner (Obviously, to be used in all moderation) or simply by moistening the houseplants regularly through the periods of heat. You can also create a little humid microclimate for your plants by closing your windows during the day when the heat is on, and opening them back up at night when it cools down.

5- Avoid fertilizing, repotting or pruning your indoor plants during summer

Fertilization, repotting and pruning are three necessary operations to promote the development of plants. In stressful conditions like summer heat, indoor plants need a phase rest without any extra-nutrients provided by fertilization. In addition to that, in spite of their benefic effects, repotting and pruning are stressful and can damage the leaves and stems of the already stressed plants in summer. 

So don’t fertilize, repot or prune your houseplants in summer, better to wait until it cools down. 

6- Clean your houseplants

Remember to dust your plants so as not to damage them. To do this, use a damp cloth and wipe it over the leaves every ten days.

Clean up yellowing or dying leaves and flowers to ovoid the development of plant diseases and other harmful insects. 

7- Learn to recognize stress

Indoor plants suffer from the sudden change in conditions and they become thirsty much faster. To protect your lovely plants, get into habit to keep an eye on them regularly, and if you watch any common sign of stress, try to make adjustments before your plants suffer permanent damage. 

The most common stress signs are: 

In summer conditions, the principal purpose will be to watch over your indoor plants and be extra careful if you don’t want to see them die. Just follow these steps:

Love of plants has inspired people to create new concepts to protect and care for indoor and outdoor plants such us some greenhouse insurance or plant nursery insurance companies that provide interesting plant care services.