How to help your houseplants through a heatwave
I couldn't find a picture of a houseplant with a little parasol and a cocktail...
Where I live in Western Europe we’re currently going through a heatwave. And while houseplants generally come from tropical jungle forests, heatwaves can be stressful for them too.
I’m all about minimalist plant care (basically I’m a bit lazy), but these are a couple of things I keep in mind when it gets really, really hot.
#1 resist the urge to suddenly water a lot
Overwatering is one of the main reasons plants die. So before you decide to ‘treat’ your plants to extra water during hot days, make sure that you are absolutely positive that a plant needs more water. Not nearly all plants do, in my experience. In this post I wrote a bit about how to figure out that your plant needs water.
#2 keep your curtains or blinds closed when the sun is at its peak
Many plants appreciate a bit of morning or evening sunshine, but particularly morning sunshine can be very strong during the summer, so keep those curtains closed. The Alocasia zebrina that lives on my desk in my study gets morning light, but developed sunburn spots in the early summer, so I’m now extra careful to close the curtains to protect it.
Your plants will survive with little light for a while—our curtains are pretty dark, but you still get kind of a dusky, filtered light that I imagine is just like what the tropical jungle floor looks like.
#3 move your plants
A plant that’s perfectly happy on a south-facing windowsill during winter and spring, can be miserable during the summer. Discolouration is a clear sign, as is dropping leaves. I used to have quite a lot of succulents on my south-facing windowsill, but with the exception of one, I’ve moved all of them elsewhere.
Even succulents don’t love the harsh light of summer, so now only my cacti are left on that windowsill (and one giant Alocasia zebrina that isn’t supposed to love these circumstances but is absolutely thriving).
#4 put plants in dishes of water
I put those plants that really like their soil to stay fairly most in a little dish with water, especially smaller and younger plants like my cuttings and my problem-child Spathiphyllum (peace lily).
#5 spray them (occasionally)
I don’t do this consistently, but especially during the summer, if I remember, I’ll gently spray some water onto those plants with large leaves. Make sure that you don’t make them too wet, and do this in the morning preferably so they have a chance to dry. I also make sure not to get them wet in places where they might not dry, to prevent rot.
Do you do anything special for your houseplants during heatwaves? Have you noticed any changes in them? I’d love to know!
Currently
I’m bookmarking this list of plants that tolerate hot, dry summers and wet winters to use when I get back into garden planning.
I bought a water globe for my Philodendron verrucosum which looks like it’s struggling a bit water-wise. I hope that using a water globe will allow it to fall dry and still get water when it needs it.
Thank you for this!