Summer is at our doors. Due to the high temperatures and dry environment, your houseplants need more specific care. Just like the winter cold, the summer heat can also have harmful effects on your flower pots. And the consequences can be fatal: without taking adequate precautions, this time of year can lead to dry leaves and the proliferation of pests that greatly affect your plants.
To help your ornamental plants flourish properly and avoid certain typical summer diseases, you absolutely must make a few small changes at home. Simply move them to more appropriate corners so that their growth is not affected and above all to prevent your flowers from wilting before their time. Here are some maintenance tips to follow to the letter.
Where is it best to move your plant pots during the summer?
As you probably know, some plants prefer natural light, growing comfortably in a warmer environment and even tolerating direct sunlight. Generally, these plants take advantage of this to grow more quickly and have abundant flowering during this period. If you have this type of plant at home, it’s a great boon since you will take full advantage of their heat resistance by moving them to a more advantageous area for you.
So, during heatwaves, you will benefit from an unsuspected advantage: in fact, these plants are an excellent way to lower the ambient temperature by a few degrees in the living room or bedroom. Simply install your pots near the window and the environment will no longer be so stuffy. And for good reason, your plant will absorb a large part of the solar energy, thus protecting the room from the high heat.
Do you have large shrubs or plants that love summer sun? So much the better, these plants will immediately help refresh your interior.
NB: Take care to only water them in the morning or evening, not during the day, when it is very hot.
Why do your houseplants end up withering?
We have just seen the immense advantage of having sun-resistant plants which have the ability to absorb heat and which cool the surrounding environment. Unfortunately, this is not the case for all plants. You must therefore carefully identify which ones you have so as not to make an irrecoverable error!
Because while some plants love direct sunlight, others are much more sensitive and cannot tolerate high heat. If you expose them, the damage can be very significant. Indeed, the leaves can then wither immediately and your plant risks dying if it is installed near windows. Check the conditions for caring for your plants carefully to make sure you don’t make any mistakes. Therefore, if in winter your plants were in a brighter corner, make a change: if they cannot withstand high temperatures, put them in a more shaded area to compensate for the slightest risk of drying out.
Be careful with overwatering: some plants can wilt very quickly if they receive too much water. Here again, you should know that plants do not all have the same humidity needs. Some like to have a pool of water in the pot, while others only require occasional watering. The latter also need sandy soil, otherwise their roots rot more quickly and the plant ends up dying.
Another essential precaution to take into account: never let a plant feel cramped in an unsuitable pot. Spare it this suffering by planting it in an ever-larger pot, as it grows. The more appropriate the pot, the more its roots will develop properly.
Finally, one of the main reasons for plant unhappiness is none other than the invasion of unwanted insects. These parasites which lurk around all the time, particularly during the hot period, and which significantly affect the development of plants. As often as possible, carefully examine the condition of your plants’ leaves to take appropriate action. Of course, there are as many commercial insecticides as there are natural repellents to keep all these pests away and protect your plants.
Tips for caring for houseplants during the warm season
- Prune off yellowing leaves and flowers as soon as possible.
- We advise you to place the pots away from walls, as they give off heat when exposed to high temperatures.
- For safety reasons, it is better to cover the pots with a cloth to prevent them from absorbing too much heat.
- In case the plant remains in the sun for a few hours during the day, it is advisable to place the pot inside another larger pot.
- In summer, high temperatures cause water to evaporate very quickly. Some plants will therefore need more regular and deeper watering so that the water can reach the roots correctly.
What is the best exposure for plants?
If you’re wondering where you should place your houseplants, an east-facing window would be much better than a west-facing window!
