Lifestyle

How to help your houseplants survive and thrive in the hot weather


Take care of your leafy pals (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

We may be wilting under the oppressive heat of the current weather, but how are our plants doing?

Do we need to worry about the houseplants we’ve so carefully cultivated passing away in the heatwave? Should we water them more, put them in a shaded spot, or pop them outside so they can soak up the summer sun?

All these questions are enough to keep us up at night – and we’re struggling enough to get sleep in the heat as it is.

So to soothe our plant parent concerns, we chatted to expert Chris Bonnett from GardeningExpress for his wisdom on helping houseplants survive and thrive in the heat.

Here’s what you need to know.

Consider your houseplant’s individual needs

Like humans, houseplants are not one big homogenous mass who appreciate the exact same treatment across the board.

Some will be loving the heat while others will be like many people, absolutely hating the heat.

Have a Google of each of your plant types rather than taking a blanket approach.

‘Some sun-loving plants like succulents and cacti are well adapted to high temperatures, but – like humans – a lot of houseplant species don’t cope well in heatwaves,’ says Chris.

‘Leafy tropical plants prefer cool, humid air rather than hot, dry heat, so as temperatures climb, they can suffer.’

Every plant is different (Picture: Getty Images/Image Source)

Adjust your plants’ placement to tweak their light

While your plant might usually love bathing in the sun, prolonged exposure to intense sunlight can damage their leaves, leaving them looking unhealthy and causing problems long term.

When it’s this hot and sunny, it’s worth moving your plants out of your windowsills and out of the rays of direct sunlight.

Don’t overwater

It’s tempting to think that, like us, plants need to drink a load more water when it’s hot outside.

But please, don’t overreact to the hot weather by drowning your poor plants.

‘Overwatering is the fastest way to kill a plant,’ says Chis. ‘Instead, stick a finger into your houseplant soil every few days. When the soil is dry 1-2 inches down, then you should soak the soil until water runs out of the holes in the bottom of the plant pot.

‘Never let your plants sit in water. Doing so can damage the roots.’

Take care not to overdo the watering (Picture: Getty Images)

Consider humidity

Many of the houseplants we love – Swiss Cheese Plants, those stripey calatheas – thrive in humid, tropical atmospheres.

That means they like heat, but it’s not just about raising temperatures – keeping the air humid will help, too.

Try moving plants to the bathroom (where there’s steam!), mist your plants every day with a spray bottle, or get a humidifier.

‘You can also fill a shallow dish with pebbles, fill with water, and set plant pots on top to create a mini microclimate,’ says Chris. ‘It will provide the humidity needed to help your plants survive summer temperatures.’

Don’t plan any plant-based projects

Now is not the time for a repotting spree.

Chris advises: ‘You should never re-pot or fertilise plants during a heatwave. Plants have their work cut out for them simply trying to survive intense heat, so you don’t want to add further stressors!

‘And when your plant is in summer survival mode, it’s not looking for extra nutrients and isn’t prepared to make use of them.’

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