Getting your houseplants through a London heatwave

This summer has been a tricky one for houseplants. We've had three heatwaves since May, with temperatures pushing past 35°C in July, and I've been getting the same panicked messages from clients each time: crispy leaves, sudden drooping, plants that were thriving a fortnight ago suddenly looking terrible.

If that's you, take a breath. None of this means you've done anything wrong. A London home in a heatwave is a genuinely hostile environment for a plant that evolved somewhere far more forgiving, and the fixes are usually simple.

Move plants back from the glass

Direct sun through a window in a heatwave is far more intense than the same plant would ever experience in its native habitat, glass included. A few feet back from a south- or west-facing window, or behind a sheer curtain, makes an enormous difference.

Water the soil, not the leaves, and check before you do

Heat makes us want to reach for the watering can more often, but hot, dry air also makes it easy for soil to look dry on the surface while staying damp underneath. Push a finger a couple of inches in before watering. If it's still damp, hold off. Overwatering on top of heat stress is one of the fastest ways to lose a plant.

Humidity matters more than most people think

Air conditioning and open windows both strip moisture from the air, which is hard on anything with big, soft leaves, think Calathea, ferns, Alocasia. Grouping plants together, standing pots on a tray of pebbles and water, or using a small humidifier nearby all help.

Don't feed during a heatwave

Fertiliser encourages growth, and a stressed plant in extreme heat doesn't need the extra push. Pause feeding until temperatures settle.

Crispy leaf edges are usually about air, not just water

If you've been watering consistently and still seeing brown, crackly edges, it's often the dry heat itself rather than thirst, and that's your cue to work on humidity rather than reaching for the watering can again.

Know when to let a leaf go

The odd scorched or yellowing leaf isn't a crisis; it's the plant protecting the rest of itself.

If you've come out the other side of this summer with a few casualties, you're not alone. It's been a genuinely hard few months for indoor plants across the city. If something's still not bouncing back, I'm always happy to take a look and work out what it needs.

Related reading: what your plants actually need while you're away, if a trip is coming up on the back of all this heat.