You might be thinking that keeping your indoor plants healthy in extreme weather is difficult, but you would be wrong. These 7 secrets will help keep your plants alive and thriving even when the outside world feels like a scorching inferno or frozen tundra. Read on to find out how.

Plan Ahead

Even before adding new houseplants or bringing any indoor plants outside for the summer months, plan ahead. Many tropical plants for instance are sensitive to light changes so research what time they should go back inside before planting them permanently indoors.

Keep Them Away From Temperature Regulators

You should make sure that the plants are not too close to an air conditioner or heat vent because those will cause temperature fluctuations.

If your home does have central heating and cooling, place your ferns near a thermostat-controlled radiator when they are in their dormant stage (winter) to absorb some of the radiant heat from these devices without getting burned.

Water When It’s Hot And Dry

When the weather is hot and dry, make sure you water your plants more often to keep them happy. Plants need more water in these kinds of conditions.

Many indoor plants need about a quart of water every day when it’s warm outside because they can become dehydrated in these conditions. Be careful not to overwater them though! As the folks at Urban Organic Yield explain, overwatering can cause a plant to drown, making it difficult for the roots to effectively absorb oxygen and water. This can lead to too much fungus and disease, which in turn will kill the plant. So water but don't overdo it.

Shade

Put your plants in a shady spot when the sun is harsh because plants will get too much sun and die if they sit in the full sun all day. Too much sun can also burn the leaves of your plants and make them turn brown and crispy.

If you don't have a shady spot in your home, here are some other things to try:

This might be hard if you're using artificial light indoors but turning off your lights for a little while will give the plants time to rest.
You can also put them near window curtains that block out harsh sunlight or outside of windows so they get only indirect sun during the day which is better than no exposure at all. This way they'll still absorb enough energy and won't burn from too much sun exposure.
Place your indoor plant on top of something tall like a bookcase with its leaves facing up towards the ceiling as this blocks the direct hot rays coming down on it from above. A lamp post would work too.

In Winter

During the winter months, it's tempting to bring the plants inside, but often they don't do well indoors.

Place your pot in a location that receives bright light all day long. This includes windowsills and outdoors too. A south-facing window gets more sun which is great for this purpose.

If you are going to place the pot of your plant outdoors, be sure that they don't go dormant and water them well. They need plenty of moisture during this time because it is colder outside than in a heated indoor environment.

As winter progresses, make adjustments as needed based on how hardy your particular species is.

Rain

When it rains people tend to place their indoor plants in the corners of a room, but that's usually where condensation collects. Place them near windows with sunlight or on top of newspaper or paper towels so they don't get soaked when it rains. This will help keep your plant's roots healthy and strong for as long as possible.

Beware of Pests

Different weather brings different insects and pests. Aphids for instance thrive in the spring. They feed off of sap and can harm your plants’ leaves, so be sure to use insecticidal soap or neem oil to get rid of them if they start appearing on the plant's leaves!

If possible, it would be best to use something like Insecticidal soap or Neem Oil in order to kill these types of pests before they have time to multiply. Keeping up with this will most likely help both prevent any damage done by these pests and maintain healthy organic growth.

With a little planning and understanding of how plants survive in different weather conditions, you can keep your home looking beautiful without too much effort. The key to success is knowing when to water the plants more often, where they should be placed for the best sunlight exposure (or shade), and whether it would make sense to bring them inside during certain seasons.