The heat of summer is finally here! With temperatures set to soar into the high 90s and low 100s in the Pacific Northwest this weekend, the time is now to get your houseplants ready to handle the heat and switch into summer plant care mode.
Though some sun-loving plants like succulents and cacti are well adapted to high temperatures, plants that are kept indoors are not acclimated to the extremes of a summer heat wave. This includes your succulents and cacti (unless, that is, they’ve been moved outdoors onto the porch or patio for summer). Leafy tropicals are particularly susceptible to damage from heat, and if too severely damaged, might not recover.
Not to worry! There’s plenty you can do in advance of and during the heat wave to make sure your indoor plants survive the heat. Here are 5 of the most important summer plant care tips to get you started.
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.
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.
Though fertilizer is your friend, especially during summer, a stressed plant should never be fertilized until it recovers. When your plant is in summer survival mode, it’s not looking for extra nutrients and isn’t prepared to make use of them. Introducing these into the soil will risk further stressing your plant. Wait until it cools down a bit for your next feeding!
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.
Why wait to prune off damaged leaves and stems until after the heat wave passes? You guessed it: stress. While a little pruning here and there often helps your plant spur new growth, immediately assuming that a leaf that’s wilted or discolored is a goner is not the best choice during a heat wave. When conditions get back to normal, the leaf might rebound. Plus, it might still be supporting the overall health of the plant. And, of course, pruning does cause a bit of stress to your plant. It’s best to wait until temperatures get a bit back in the normal range before snipping off leaves and stems that didn’t make it.
Last but certainly not least, being ready to catch problems early is key to stopping them before they take hold and ravage your indoor plants. Common signs of stress to keep in mind for summer plant care usually have to do with too much heat and too little water.
– Tropical plants, especially those with tender leaves, usually wilt with exposure to too much heat.