Thirsty Thursday: Keep your plants thrivin' in the heat

The sun is out longer and the temperature is up higher. This means one thing. You need to up your plant watering routine. Don’t let your plant babies die of thirst, give them a big drink and then you can treat yo’ self to one too!

First things first, more sun means more water, so keep the soil moist. However not too wet that you drown the roots. If the soil doesn't get enough water or receives too much, it can damage the roots and prevent it from growing. If your plant has thick and lush leaves it will require more water than plants with waxy looking leaves. 

Don’t know how often to water your plant? It all depends on the type of plant and how much sun it is getting. Do a bit of googling and you’ll find an answer in no time for how regular you need to water your specific type of plant. Anyways, a good way to see if the plant needs water is to see if the soil is dry, cracked or lighter in colour. If it is any of those, it’s time to water baby! Another good test is to poke your finger into the soil. Knuckle deep, if the soil is moist it’s fine to leave for a couple more days but if dry, water is likely needed.

What does it mean if you notice discolouration in the leaves? It can mean two things; dehydration or overhydration (yes, that’s a thing). If you can see slight brown and/or yellow hues around the edges of the leaves that are starting to curl, you have given it a little too much lovin’. If there is discolouration, loss of leaves or slow growth, the plant needs more care.

Indirect sunlight is perfect for indoor plants so they get just enough sunlight without getting burnt. Just like being at the beach, you can’t be in direct sunlight for too long. As the plants go through the process of photosynthesis they do need some (indirect) sunshine in order to live. Popping them in a well-lit room such as a living room or kitchen where there is plenty of natural light will work perfectly. If you don’t get much natural sunlight into your house, fluorescent lighting can work as an alternative for some plants.

This is one for the indecisives - don’t move your plants around a lot. Your plant baby will acclimate itself to its surroundings but only slowly with time. If you keep movin’ it around it’ll get confused and won’t be able to adjust to keep on livin its best life. 

If you follow these tips and follow a good watering schedule for your plant, it will be looking healthy and luscious in no time. No better feeling than spotting a new leaf sprout!