PLANTS CARE DURING SUMMER
Indian summers can be harsh and it is important that you keep the plants safe from the scorching heat. Here are some top tips on How to Take Care of Plants in Summer with minimum effort.
It’s that time of year, when the days get longer and the heat goes up. Yes, the heat of summer is finally here! As far as the health of plant is concerned, the summers can be a tough time, if they do not get proper care.Warm summer weather conditions can be no picnic for garden plants, particularly in India. However a few plants, for example, succulents and desert flora can adjust to the high temperatures, and indoor plants in India are not accustomed to summer heat wave. As a general rule, verdant tropical plants are inclined to harm from heat, and on the off chance that the harm is too broad, such plants may not recuperate. While you can’t fix the harm, you can ensure that your plants stay protected from the boiling summer heat utilizing these straightforward, yet compelling tips.
BEST TIPS TO SURVIVE A HEAT WAVE
1. Promote high humidity
Plants that like high humidity (many epiphytes and tropicals such as fittonia, calathea and most ferns) should be frequently misted through periods of heat. You can also fill a shallow dish with pebbles, fill with water, and set your pot on top to create a little humid microclimate for your plant that will provide humidity and help your plants survive summer.
2. Water well, and water deeply
As you’ve probably read on our blog before, proper watering is key to indoor plant care. Though over-watering is the most efficient way to kill your houseplant, heat and sun cause water to evaporate from soil at much faster rates. In preparation for a heat wave, be sure to give your plants a deep watering – if you water too quickly or not enough, often just the top of the soil gets wet and the rest escapes down the sides of your pot and out the bottom. Make sure the water is actually absorbed by watering slowly, and allowing the plant to soak up excess water in a bowl for 10-20 after watering.
While you’re in summer plant care mode, check your plants soil moisture level more frequently than normal, either by using a moisture meter, or with the trusty “finger test” – water when soil feels dry at 1-2″ down for most tropical plants. Another key indicator of fast-drying, compacted soil is when the soil pulls away from the sides of the pot. If there’s a gap between the soil and the side of the pot, it’s time to rehydrate!
If you happen to have A/C, keep in mind that the dry air can dry pots out just as quickly as the sun. Keep an eye out for thirsty plants and water well.
3. Shade sensitive plants from too much sun
Plants get sunburn, too. Plants that live in south and west-facing windows will get an especially bright dose of vitamin D during this weekend’s heat wave. But since you can’t put sunscreen on their leaves, it’s best to move them a bit further into your house to spare them from this direct hit of the sun. As mentioned at the top, this goes for succulents and cacti that haven’t been acclimated to direct sun, too.
4. Keep it cool
If you’ve ever felt faint in the heat, imagine what your plants must feel like! Do your best to keep your plants out of the hottest spots in your home while in summer plant care mode. This might mean moving them away from windows or even into other rooms during hot times.
5. Don’t re-pot during a heat wave
Likewise, you shouldn’t choose a 100+ degree day as the perfect moment to re-pot that root-bound ficus (or any other plant for that matter). Why? Leaves always get damaged during re-potting (and in fact, proper re-potting often involves trimming away a lot of the root mass). Re-potting will cause your plant to get a bit stressed (even though it’s important plant maintenance in the long run) and this added stress could cause it to fail during the heat.
6. Keep Your Plants in Shade
One more method for lessening heat pressure and safeguard cultivating plants in India is to put them in conceal. By and large, establishes that are set in west and south-bound windows get a lot of openness to summer heat wave. Subsequently, it is ideal to move them somewhat further into the house and extra them from direct daylight. This goes for prickly plants and succulents as well, in the event that they aren’t accustomed to coordinate sun.Bear in mind that shade plants are most likely to tolerate some sun in the early morning. Being more sensitive to light reduces their ability to withstand direct sunlight for an extended period of time: their foliage becomes bleached, their leaf margins scorch, or burn spots appear on the leaves
7.Don’t re-pot during Peak Summer:
Continuously attempt to do your repotting before the mid year as legitimate repotting requires managing a portion of the root mass and leaves likewise get harmed. This multitude of exercises set the plants in danger of shock and stress assuming it is finished in top summer. In this way, save your re-preparing for cooler seasons when your plants don’t have endurance at the front.There is no specific season for repotting houseplants: it can be done in spring, summer or fall, as long as the plant is growing (it’s best not to repot a plant when it is beginning its dormancy)
8.Learn to Recognise Stress in Plants
Lastly, it is essential that you learn to recognise whenever your plants feel stressed. This will help you take remediation steps before the stress ravages your indoor plants. In summer, most gardening plants depict easily identifiable stress signs whenever they experience too much heat and less water. While leaves of many tropical plants wilt when exposed to excess heat, those having bright green foliage may also pale. Furthermore, sunburn in plants often manifests in the form of yellow patch or rough brown on leaves and stems. The flowers and leaves of many flowering plants also drop off or turn yellow whenever the plant is under stress.
