Keeping indoor plants happy in air-conditioned homes

Air conditioning keeps us comfortable, but it dries the air and can blow cold, fast-moving air straight at your plants. Leaves turning brown at the tips are the usual sign.

Move plants out of the draft

Keep plants at least a metre away from AC vents. A plant that sits in the stream of cold air dries out much faster than one a little further away.

Raise the humidity

• Group plants together so they share the moisture they give off.
• Stand pots on a tray of pebbles and water, keeping the pot above the water line.
• Mist tropical plants such as calatheas in the morning.

Check the soil, not the calendar

Dry air speeds up watering. Push a finger 2–3 cm into the soil: if it is dry, water thoroughly until it drains from the bottom.