Summer Houseplants: Top Tips and Best Sellers
Oooh, it’s getting hot in here, so we need to look after our green beauties. And this week we’re here with some much-needed advice on how to care for your plants as the temperatures soar as well as some top tips for the best plants to purchase for the summertime.
Just like us human folk, some plants will be absolutely loving these epic hot temperatures while others will, quite literally, be wilting in the heat and finding it a little tricky. With that in mind, we want to give you a little rundown of the best ways to keep your plants happy as the mercury rises. We’ve also got some inspiration for the best plants to opt for if you’re looking to add to your indoor jungle at this time of year.
Plant Care for when it’s Hot, Hot, Hot
Regardless of whether you have a sun-loving or shade-dwelling plant, the majority of our green beauties will need a bit of a change to their plant care routine during the hotter months, it’s definitely time to check in on them and help them cope. Your care and attention will be a welcome treat, like a good friend turning up with a high-powered fan on a boiling hot day!
For a full rundown on how to help your plants beat the heat, have a read of this blog where we share our 8 Top Tips for Summer Indoor Plant Care. In brief, our top tips to help you with summer plant care are:
- Water more frequently – just like us, your plants will need more hydration in the heat.
- Move sensitive plants out of direct sunlight – it’s a fab idea to move your more sensitive green beauties away from windowsills and out of direct light.
- Increase humidity – some extra water in this hot, hot air will make your plants oh so happy. Spritz them regularly with a mister or group them together so that they can act as humidifiers for one another.
- Keep plants clean – regularly cleaning the leaves of your plants will ensure that all this lovely sunlight isn’t being blocked by dust and preventing effective photosynthesising – we don’t want to waste all this sun power potential!
- Rotate your plants – plants naturally grow towards the light so rotate them weekly to encourage a lovely, even shape.
- Feed & nourish – the warmer months of spring and summer are when your plant is in its growing phase. Here at TLB we recommend feeding them during this time to help stimulate their new growth. We love Plantsmith Fortifying Houseplant Tonic, a natural blend of 13 essential nutrients and kelp extract.
- Repot if needed. Now is a great time to give your plant a new home if it is becoming too big for its current pot.
- Watch for signs of stress – our green beauties don’t need to be able to talk to tell us if they’re feeling the heat. Keep an eye on them and you’ll soon know if they’re not coping too well and action is needed. Signs to look out for include leaf and flower drop, wilting leaves, an uneven shape and brown tips or blackened foliage.
Summer Loving Houseplants
As we said earlier in the blog, some plants fare better than others when it comes to coping in the heat. So, this week, as well as sharing our tips for caring for your plants in the heat, we also want to introduce you to our summer bestsellers. The green beauties that don’t simply cope in the sun but lap it up like a thirsty holiday-maker with a chilled sun-downer!
These plants thrive in heat, survive with little water and tolerate some (but not total) neglect – they are the perfect plants to consider adding to your indoor jungle during the summer.
Sunny Succulents
Succulents are a fab choice for indoor plants during the summer. They originate from the deserts of Africa and South America where conditions are naturally dry and arid. This makes them perfectly suited to cope with the warmer, drier temperatures.
Here at TLB, we have a fab range of succulents and cacti to choose from. Here are our top-selling varieties to give you some summery inspiration.
First up is the beautiful and distinctive heart-shaped Hoya Kerrii Heart, available as a double or single heart, these gorgeous green beauties come potted in a choice of our metallic dipped ceramics for the ultimate in easy summer style. And, most importantly for this time of year, they are perfectly prepped to breeze through a heatwave. They only need a small amount of water poured directly into the soil once a month. Thanks to their desert origins, they don’t like to be around humidity and water. For the full rundown on looking after your Hoya Kerrii Heart, take a look at our handy care guide.
With his love of drought-like conditions, it’s easy to see why the Haworthia makes our list of summer bestsellers. Also known as a Zebra Cactus thanks to his stripy leaves, this hardy little succulent only needs water once every 1-2 months. It also loves lots of bright, indirect light. Read our useful care guide to help you keep your little guy looking fresh and healthy.
Number 3 in our top-selling list is the wonderfully robust, thick-leaved Miranda succulent. This hardy plant, with his oh-so gorgeous flower-like good looks, makes a fab choice for some summer styling. For effortless summer chic we love the grey concrete pot with the varnished base. You can also opt for one of our metallic dipped pots. It’s safe to say that whichever you choose, both your summer style and plant care requirements will be fabulously simple. All the plant care info you need for the lovely Miranda can be found in this super little care guide.
This next pick, the Sansevieria Punk, is one of our faves here at TLB and you lovely plant people have obviously spotted his awesomeness too given that he’s made the bestselling list. Potted in a choice of our bespoke, metallic dipped pots, this funky little guy is so stylish, even in the sun. For everything you need to know about looking after your Sansevieria, take a look at our handy post giving you the full low-down. But rest assured, this low-maintenance succulent is never demanding, even when the heat is on.
And last but by no means least in our top five list of bestselling summer succulents is a fast-growing, leafy succulent with oodles of stylish charm. The Mini Peperomia Piccolo has an abundance of beautifully patterned leaves which look just stunning against our grey and copper ceramic. This easy-care green beauty only needs water every couple of weeks and he’ll helpfully let you know when he’s thirsty because his leaves will begin to droop. This care guide will provide you with plenty of info to help keep your Peperomia Piccolo looking tip top.
Heat-seeking Houseplants
Whilst succulents make an obvious choice for your indoor jungle during the summer months, there are also some leafier lovelies that are well suited to warmer climes. Here are our top five best-selling summer houseplants, with the right (low maintenance!) care these hardy guys will stay as fresh as those proverbial daisies through the sunny days.
First on the list is the gorgeous Calathea. This leafy beauty is basically the sun worshipper of the plant world! Also known as the Prayer Plant because his gorgeous leaves move upwards at dusk in a prayer-like movement, to get closer to the last rays of sunlight and open out again at dawn as the light gets brighter. Originating in South America, this green beauty is no stranger to heat but does prefer a shadier spot away from the full glare of the sun. This useful care guide will tell you all you need to know to keep your Calathea happy and healthy, or if you’re in the mood for a more in-depth read, take a look at our more in-depth blog post, all about this splendid houseplant.
As summer houseplants go, the Peperomia Rotundifolia is another gorgeous pick. A trailing beauty that simply adores tropical temperatures and humidity so, he will do well trailing beautifully from a shelf in your bathroom. He will only need water every 7-10 days; for a full lowdown on how to care for your Peperomia Rotundifolia, have a look at our little care guide.
For the absolute ultimate in trailing plant style this summer, we present the gorgeous String of Hearts. The stunning, heart-shaped, pinky-grey vines are complimented perfectly with our soft pink or grey, copper-dipped ceramics. These trailing beauties like to dry out completely before being watered so should only need a drink about once every 10 days.
Next up is a hard-leaved, tropical beauty; the Sansevieria Snakey. Also known as a Snake Plant, this hardy houseplant is a great choice for summer because, being native to Africa and Madagascar, they thrive in warm conditions and bright light. And for an added summer bonus, he’s currently available in our fabulously colourful summer pots – nab one before they’re gone! Read our Sansevieria care guide to help you keep your very own Snakey thriving. Or if you can’t get enough of this green beauty, learn even more about owning and caring for a Sansevieria.
The final summer houseplant in our top 5 bestsellers is a good one; it’s the beautiful orchid. Orchids are well known for the stunning flowers that they produce in an array of different colours. They are a top choice for summer because they thrive in bright, indirect sunlight and they don’t need too much water to survive. Here at The Little Botanical, we have a fab range of orchids in a variety of sizes and colours. Our favourites include the Jungle Orchid, a colourful orchid planted alongside a leafy Chamaedorea for a spectacular display of florals and foliage. Or the Mini Orchid which provides a big pop of colour in a small package. And these are available in a choice of gorgeous colours too. Whichever you choose, use our helpful care guide to help keep yours blooming throughout the summer and beyond.
So, we’re hoping that with this handy rundown of top tips for summer plant care and plant choices it won’t be your plant care that’s making you sweat right now! Of course, if you still have questions, please do get in touch at [email protected].
Stay cool plant people (if you can!)
