Whether you’re growing your own food or trying to keep your houseplants healthy, it’s not uncommon to feel confused about whether you should keep the plants inside or outside during the summer months.
On one hand, keeping them inside will help shield them from hot temperatures and harmful UV rays that might cause sunburn or even skin cancer. On the other hand, keeping them inside can cause them to lose sunlight, which can make it harder for them to flourish and grow.
Here are some tips on when you should keep the plants inside and when you should keep them outside in order to get the best of both worlds.
Do Plants Need Sunlight?
Should you keep your plants inside or outside in order to protect them from sun exposure and weather conditions? Of course, there are no hard-and-fast rules for a particular plant. However, there are some general guidelines that can help you determine whether or not your plants will benefit from being kept inside. The first thing you should do is decide on how much sunlight your home receives each day.
For example, if your windows get a lot of sunlight during most of the day, it’s possible that moving your plants indoors might be beneficial because they might not get enough light otherwise.
How Does Sunlight Affect Plant Growth?
While they often get a bad rap, sunlight and your plants go together like peanut butter and jelly. In fact, many plants need sunlight in order to grow (and some of them will die if you don’t provide it). Sunlight promotes photosynthesis—the process by which plants convert light energy into chemical energy.
Photosynthesis allows for healthy plant growth and development, so you want your potted plants to get as much sun exposure as possible. However, even though most people think of them as completely opposite needs, light and shade actually work hand-in-hand with one another when it comes to planting growth.
Can Plants Get Sunburned?
If you’re like most gardeners, you take sun exposure seriously. What many gardeners don’t realize is that plants can get sunburned just like we do! In fact, it’s not unusual for some of your favorite houseplants to develop mild sunburn during long stretches of hot and sunny weather.
The red color around leaves after a sunburn is actually chlorophyll being damaged by too much sunlight. It’s still important that you give your plants some direct sunlight each day.
What Is Light Burn and Heat Burn in Plants?
With extended periods of sun exposure, plants can suffer light burn (sunburn) and heat burn (heat stress). These two afflictions are often confused with one another. Light burn occurs when leaves aren’t getting enough carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, causing leaves to turn brown or yellow.
Heat stress occurs when temperatures exceed a plant’s maximum temperature threshold. This is usually measured in Celsius or Fahrenheit degrees, as well as degrees over a day (for example, 40 degrees over 8 hours would be 350C). Because plants need sunlight for photosynthesis, they can only survive if temperature and carbon dioxide levels are in balance; otherwise, they’ll die from one of these two afflictions. Learn more about light burn and heat burn in plants!
Is it ok if my plants have light burn or heat burn?
Light burn, otherwise known as sunburn, is usually caused by leaving your plants in direct sunlight for too long (especially in summer) and may affect their leaf texture. Although it isn't fatal, light burn does affect photosynthesis and can eventually lead to total leaf loss.
Heat burn typically occurs when outdoor plants are placed indoors where temperatures differ greatly. Most indoor plants were created for specific climates and will not do well if moved abruptly.
For example, if you live in a cold climate but have a garden full of tropical plants inside your home, they'll likely wilt or suffer heat burns even with plenty of water.
How do I keep light burns and heat burns from affecting my plants further?
Overheating and light burns can easily result in a dead plant. However, don’t worry: it’s usually not too difficult to restore their health once you understand how they work.
The key is watering them appropriately. If your plants are affected by either heat or light burns, pull them out of direct sunlight and water them with cool—not cold—water at room temperature (the hotter your water is, the more stress it puts on your plants).
It may take time for your plants’ leaves to heal, but they should bounce back if you give them what they need. Don’t be afraid to trim away burnt foliage as well; dead leaves will draw energy away from living ones trying to recover.
Tips for protecting plants from sun exposure when growing indoors
When growing houseplants indoors, it's easy to get excited about all of your new healthy, happy plants. But while they love their new environment, over-exposing them to natural sunlight can actually hurt your plants in a number of ways. In fact, it can even shorten their lifespans.
Here are four tips for how to avoid overexposure when you're indoors with plants:
1) If possible, keep your plants away from direct sunlight: This might sound counterintuitive since plants crave bright light and warmth, but exposure to UV rays can burn and damage leaves or cause serious sunburns on sensitive skin.
2) If moving your plant farther away from a window isn't an option, make sure it has enough shade: By nature, most indoor plants need at least some amount of filtered light in order to grow properly – shade just makes sure that exposure is safe as well as beneficial. Even if you only have artificial lighting inside your home, chances are good that some windows offer ample indirect light.
3) When direct sunlight is unavoidable, move your potted plants out of their way: It's important to remember that damage comes not only from direct sunlight but also from reflected rays that bounce off furniture and other surfaces indoors. These indirect rays can easily cause damage when they come into contact with leaves or sensitive skin. If you're going to be keeping outdoor plants close by on sunny days (or if you just can't keep them out of direct sunlight), use a big opaque or reflective umbrella to block any unwanted rays before they reach the leaves or skin. There are even lightweight glass umbrellas designed specifically for large or heavy plants that stand on their own without requiring support to hold them up.
4) Consider getting a UV-resistant plant: While there aren't many houseplants that naturally resist sun exposure, there are several varieties of standard plants developed especially for growing indoors without suffering. Many species such as Christmas cactus (Schlumbergeria bridgesii), bromeliads, and assorted succulents boast thick, fleshy leaves built to withstand sunburns or temperature changes despite lack of protection.
