THE weather is hot and the plants are dying or the leaves are turning yellow. What do you do?
With temperatures soaring, the time is now to get your house plants ready to handle the heat.
You don’t have to worry if you have sun-loving plants like succulents and cacti as they can adapt well to high temperatures.
You have to worry about the leafy tropicals as they are particularly susceptible to damage by heat. If the plants are too severely damaged, they might not last and there is nothing you can do to safe them.
Tips:
1. Promote high humidity
Leafy tropical plants should be frequently misted when its really hot outdoors. You can also fill a shallow dish with pebbles or little stones and fill it with water. The pot can be placed on top of this to create a little humid microclimate for the plant. This is sure to help your plants survive the blazing hot weather.
2. Water well
Spend more time watering the plants, preferably early in the morning or late in the evening so the water does not evaporate from soil too quickly. This is especially so if the plants are out in the garden and there is no shade to protect them. Take time to water each and every pot so the soil actually soaks up. Don’t worry about over-watering under extreme hot weather.
3. Check soil condition
Check your plant’s soil moisture level at least twice a week by using a moisture meter or the trusty “finger test”. If the soil is too dry you may want to “poke” it with a sharp object to loosen it and then pour some water in the area.
4. Providing shade
If you have a tree in your garden or tall plants, you may want to place all your potted plants underneath them until the weather gets better. If you don’t have either one, you may want to build a temporary shade to protect the tender plants. Do your best to keep your plants out of the hottest spots in your garden.
5. Keeping plants indoor
If you have plants that die easily in heat, keep them indoors, preferably near a window so they still get sunlight.
6. Don’t fertilise during a heatwave
Though fertiliser is a plant’s best friend, avoid until a cooler climate. A stressed plant shoul never be fertilised until it recovers, otherwise will be killing them.
7. Avoid replanting
When it is hot, no one wants to go outside unless you have to and worst is to spend hours in the garden replanting those that are withering. Leaves always get damaged during re-potting and with the heat, the plan bound to die. Just weight it out!
8. No pruning please!
Firstly, ask yourself whether it is necessary to prune, especially when the leaves and stems are already weak. When the weather gets better so will the plants. If you have roses or bougainvilleas, a little pruning often helps them spur new growth, but not all plants are like that.
9. Get plants that love the sun!
Sunflowers thrive in warmer weather and climates. Roses and bougainvilleas need a lot of sun and heat so they are the best plants to have. Plumeria and certain palm trees and ferns also love the heat.
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