Indoor Plants In Air Conditioned Rooms?
Although plenty of outdoor greenery is available during the spring and summer, there are many reasons to add some indoor greenery. Cleaning the air with indoor houseplants can be helpful, and they can certainly add to the decoration of the home.
A few studies even suggest they increase your creative and productive abilities!
Many of you have probably found out though that some plants don’t do well in an air-conditioned environment.
Plants that thrive well in a warm, dry environment are more prone to suffer when they are in an air-conditioned room. The fact is that little can be done to remedy this short of giving up your air conditioner for good.
Although some indoor plants flourish in a temperature and humid environment, there are a few that can thrive without much care. The best way to add some extra color inside an air-conditioned home is to add some foliage. So, here are some of the best indoor plants to add to an air-conditioned home.
Easy Care and Low Maintenance is Key
Many home gardeners prefer low maintenance plants and plants that are easy to maintain. The plants we will take a look at today all fall under these two criteria.
You will want to make sure you’re getting potting soil that is compatible with your indoor temperature if you’re caring for indoor plants that require AC. Water each of these plants only when the soil is completely dry, perhaps every week or so. Don’t forget to mist the leaves once a day, even if your plants aren’t watered.
The AC removes moisture from indoor plants’ leaves, so the plants’ leaves turn brown. When you mist your plants, with a simple spray bottle, every day, you guarantee that your plants store the moisture they require without oversaturating the roots.
Plant Location Matters
A lot of plants need different levels of light. Nearly all plants have different preferences on where to place them. A variety of plants bloom in low-light environments, while other plants need to be near a sunny window. It depends on the plant type.
Do not place your plants in an area that is too sunny or too cold. Check their leaves frequently. Are they yellowing and withering? You can move them around and see where they live best. They may be too close to an AC vent, or they might not be exposed to the right type of light.
4 Indoor Plants You Can Choose From
Snake Plant
Usually referred to as mother-in-laws tongue, the snake plant is one of the easiest plants to maintain. It grows easily in low light areas and only needs to be watered once its roots are completely dry.
Spider Plant
The spider plant is another plant that is very tolerant of extreme temperatures. It requires moderate light, which is the most it will need. Water it every week to a month and only increase watering if you notice brown spots on the leaves.
ZZ Plant
Originating from Africa, the ZZ plant, or Zamioculcas zamiifolia as it is officially known, is extremely drought tolerant. It is a plant that can also thrive in a low light environment in addition to reflecting sunlight. This makes your room brighter.
Rubber Plant
The plants we already discussed are mostly on the smaller side. If you want something larger, you should have a look at the rubber plant. Trees in the ficus family, rubber plants do not require much need for maintenance because they only need watering and natural light. They can also be grown into beautiful statement pieces.
How to Take Care of Them?
Here’s some advice in case you’re ready to throw out your indoor plants (or swear off air conditioning if you’re too serious about your plants) so that both coexist in the right way.
Move plants away from air vents
You and your family may not mind the cold air coming from your air vents, but it is harmful to your plants.
How? Well, cold temperatures can cause the cell membranes in a plant to freeze, hindering the plant’s ability to absorb water and nutrients. Basically, cold temperatures cause plants to starve.
Your plant might be losing its moisture if its leaves are fading or wilting because it is too close to an air conditioning vent. Cold air blowing right on plants often causes them to lose moisture.
Make sure your plant doesn’t get placed near an air vent. So check if it’s near an air vent. If so, it may need to go to a different room or area that either isn’t conditioned or is distanced from an air vent.
Mist your sensitive plants every day
Plants with skinnier leaves, especially those with a shorter leaf length, are especially sensitive to low humidity.
Whenever you notice flower buds falling from a flowery plant or when its leaves wilt, this could be the result of low humidity.
However, if you want your plants to survive, don’t increase your home’s humidity levels.
In addition to causing mold growth, high humidity can also damage your house plant’s structures.
In fact, you should never water your plants directly, since this will strip your air of moisture. Instead, constantly mist your plants’ leaves.
If plant leaves become swollen or if water spots turn red or brown, there is too much moisture.
When you notice signs such as these, this is a sign to stop misting your plants or switch them to once every two days or every other day.
Mind the Humidity
Although it is a fact that the air conditioner makes your home drier, most plants can survive in this environment if you take care of them properly and maintain proper humidity levels. Despite this, you should still be aware that when the humidity levels rise, they may affect the plant’s moisture level and also the AC’s health.
Feeling heavy or musty air could mean that your AC is not functioning properly. If this is happening, don’t delay scheduling an appointment for one of our expert HVAC technicians.
Protect small plants with glass
Cold air, temperature changes, low humidity, and humidity drops affect small plants the most.
You can protect small plants with glass to keep them safe.
It is possible to build terrariums that keep plants as beautiful as possible, while maintaining temperatures and humidity that are acceptable for your area.
Get to know your plants’ needs
Lastly, research whether your plants should be kept at a certain humidity level and at a specific temperature. Different species will react differently to the effects of air conditioning.
Knowing the kind of conditions your plants need can enable you to make more informed decisions in terms of where you put them and how you take care of them.
Try to get bigger, thicker leaves when getting houseplants. They hold up better to temperature changes and dehydration than smaller ones that have thin leaves.