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Caring for indoor plants in summer

It's their favourite time of year

For most indoor plants, summer is a very busy time. The warmest months are known as 'the growing season', because this is when your plants are putting loads of energy into new stems, leaves, and in some cases, flowers. Here are a few tips on keeping them healthy and happy and giving them the best summer ever.

Stay on top of watering

Your plants are likely to need more water in summer, especially when it's very hot. Growing leaves is thirsty work, plus high temperatures mean soil dries out faster. Grab your watering can and check your indoor plants a little more often than normal. Maybe a few times a week rather than once. Or you can cheat with a hydrospike.

You should still only water them when they need it - you don't want to drown them in soggy soil - so check your plant's page to see how moist it likes its soil. If in doubt, follow the finger dip test.

Keep them well misted

Some plants like a dry heat. Cacti like Spike or Ian will be loving the sun. Those that like a humid environment will thank you for keeping their leaves well misted when the temperature rises. This is especially true for plants with gorgeous big leaves, like Fidel the fiddle leaf fig and Zabrina the elephant ear plant.

Give them a quick spritz with your mister every morning. Only takes a few seconds. We like to do it while we're waiting for the water to boil for our first coffee or tea.

Keep an eye on the light

The sun is at its strongest at the height of summer. Some plants absolutely adore direct sun, like Fera the coconut palm, but many of them find it a bit much. Like a lot of humans, they'll burn if overexposed.

Check your plant's page to see how it feels about direct sun. If it's not keen on intense rays and it's in a very bright spot, consider moving it a little. This can be as simple as moving it slightly away from a window.

Very dry leaves or dark brown 'burn' marks are usually an indicator that your plant is feeling the heat a bit too much.

To learn more about light, check out our 'How much light does my plant need?' video.

Keep them well fed

Plants just need water, right? Actually, they need feeding with fertiliser, or plant food (same thing), to give them nutrients. In the wild, they'd pull these nutrients from the soil and use them to make new growth and flowers. Indoors, we need to provide those nutrients. A well fed plant is a stronger plant.

Check your plant's care page for specifics, but most plants like a feed once a month in spring and summer. They won't need it in winter because they won't be doing much growing.

You can find out more about feeding here.

Check if they need repotting

The best time to repot plants is in spring, but you can do it up until the end of July. There are two reasons to repot plants: To refresh old soil, or because they've outgrown their pot.

It's a good idea to repot your plant every couple of years to give it new soil. Fresh soil is more nutritious and will make your plant happier.

If you've had your plant a while and it's grown a lot, consider repotting to a larger pot. You won't have to do this more than once a year, at most, as many indoor plants like fairly tightly-packed roots. Monstera, like Chaz and Wallace, especially like a snug pot. You'll know when it's time to repot because there will be lots of roots growing out of the bottom of the nursery pot (a few growing out of the bottom is normal), or above the surface of the soil.

Repotting is super-easy. Check out our video to see how. You'll just need some compost and a willingness to get your hands dirty.

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