Beating the heat during Qatar’s long summer is a challenge for all living things including your plants. The heat is overwhelming for all.

Even when they are in air-conditioned places, your indoor plants can suffer from the negative effects of summer heat and humidity.

Here are a few summer indoor plant care tips to help your plants survive through the summer:

Protect your plants from strong summer rays

The sun’s strong summer rays cause sunburn on people as well as plants. Remember to protect your plants from sunburn, too. They can get extra doses of hot summer sunlight through windows. Make sure you check the position of your plants, and move them into an area where they won’t get direct sunlight during the summer months. This is true even for inside succulents and cacti that aren’t used to direct sun. Watch out for rough brown patches, which are signs of scorching or sunburn.

Check on your plants more often

Test the moisture level of your indoor plants more often than you usually do. The best way you can check moisture levels is by feeling the soil, and water when the soil is dry a few inches below the surface. If your plants are sitting in air conditioning, they can dry out quickly due to the lack of humidity.

Keep it cool

Even if your plants have access to air conditioning, there are spots in your home or office that are hard to cool down. Make sure to move your plants into cooler rooms, if needed.

Turning the A/C off can burn your plants so you might want to consider keeping it on for your plants to continue to grow. If you don’t have air conditioning, one way to help keep your home cooler is to shut your windows against the daytime heat, then open them at night to let the cooler night air come in. It’s also a good time to run fans. It can make a big difference.

Keep it clean

Clean up yellowing or dying leaves and flowers but avoid pruning. Dropping leaves piling up on the soil makes a perfect home for pests.

Get misty

Some indoor plants like higher humidity. Tropical plants like many ferns can suffer negative effects. You can provide a little humidity by sitting your plants on top of a saucer or tray with pebbles, and fill it with water. You can also mist your plants regularly. Make sure you don’t overspray. Keep your plants away from electronics or furniture so you don’t spoil them with all the mist.

Water carefully

You may need to adjust your watering schedule during the summer. Don’t overwater your indoor plants. More indoor plants get killed off this way than from neglect. But in the summer months, plants need a thorough soaking. You should water deeply and slowly. Pouring a full watering can kill your plants in a single drenching, a lot of the water will run off the sides of the plant and out of the bottom. Water a little at a time. Sit the plant in a bowl and let it absorb extra water from the bottom for 10 minutes after watering. But don’t forget it there, or the roots will rot and kill your plants.

Watch for signs of summer stress

Find problems due to summer heat early by watching for signs of stress to your plants, and make adjustments before your plant suffer permanent damage. Common signs include:

  • Wilted leaves
  • Pale, yellow, or brown leaves
  • Rough brown patches – this can be scorching or sunburn
  • Flowers or leaves dropping off

Things to avoid during the summer

  • Avoid significant pruning or cleanup
  • Avoid re-potting plants in hot weather
  • Don’t fertilise your indoor plants on a really hot or dry day, and don’t fertilise stressed plants – this will only stress it out more.

Source: Good Earth Plants