Plant Care 101: How To Care For Your Plants in Summer

Summer is a good time for our plants: there's lots of bright sunshine to go around, we don't have to worry about heavy rains, and there aren't that many insects to harm our plant babies. 

It's worth noting, however, that the summer heat can be a little overwhelming — especially for indoor plants who are likely to suffer from the negative effects of excess heat and lowered humidity.

Here are some of our tips on how to care for your plants in summer:

Move your plants away from the sun

If your indoor plants exhibit signs such as wilting, rough patches on their foliage, and pale yellow or brown leaves, they might be suffering from sun damage.

Prevent your plants from getting sun damage by moving them away from windows during especially hot days, or by putting sheer curtains on your windows to soften and filter any sunlight.

Keep the environment humid

Most of our favorite house plants come from tropical regions. This means that they thrive when they are placed in a humid environment. Excess heat during summer, however, can drive away humidity, which can cause plants to suffer.

You can prevent this by grouping your plants together, or by putting plants on trays of pebbles and water, both of which can create a more humid microclimate in their immediate area.

Another option is to use a mini-greenhouse or terrarium, which can help lock in moisture for plants.

You can also opt to use misters and humidifiers,  which are also considered to be excellent ways to increase humidity for plants.

Water more frequently

The increased heat during the summer months can speed up the evaporation process, which means that your plants will be “thirstier” during this season. 

Because of this, you might have to change your watering schedule, and water your plants more frequently for the next few weeks.

As a general rule, try to water your plants in the early morning or evening which is when the sun is the weakest, in order to avoid plant burn. 

You can also try adding rocks, sphagnum moss, or mulch as a top dressing in order to prevent your plants from drying out super quick in between waterings.

Feed your plants

Most house plants consider summer as their growing season. Because of this, it is recommended that plantitas and plantitos feed their plants during this time of the year.

Pro-Tip: When choosing fertilizers, remember to pick those that are organic over synthetic ones, as they are much gentler on plant roots than the latter.

Clean your plants’ foliage

If you keep large-leafed plants or those with thick foliage, remember to wipe them gently with a moist cloth every now and then. Doing this will help remove any dust and debris that may have settled on them, which can cause them difficulties in absorbing sunshine. 

Aside from that, you should also remove any wilted leaves that may have collected on the surface of their soil in order to prevent rot and fungus outbreaks.

Here at Pots For Plants, we believe that as responsible plant parents, keeping our plants healthy should be our main priority during the summer.

And while that can seem like a complicated endeavor, we believe that by simply doing some research and some smart scheduling, making our plants thrive during this season is something that’s easily achievable.

Need help with your plants? Read our blogs for more plant keeping tips and tricks!