Your conservatory can be a great place to grow exotic plants when you take the time to craft the right conditions. It can sometimes be better than growing your plants outdoors, as they will be safe from trampling and dangerous pesticides or pollutants that can hurt your plants. You can optimize your conservatory in many ways to boost the growth rate of exotic plants.
We’re here to introduce how you can create the ideal scenario to get the most out of your exotic plants, from temperature and light control to how to approach potting to help make indoor gardening easy. Bridge the gap between indoors and outdoors with stunning exotic plants in your conservatory!
Continue reading to make your conservatory the perfect place for growing and maintaining the health of your exotic plants.
Control The Temperature
Firstly, you need to get the temperature in your conservatory. Conservatories can be tricky spaces, as they get very hot in the summer and very cool in the winter. While many exotic plants thrive in hot temperatures, when they will also survive in the colder months, they will benefit more without the extremes through either season.
Blinds are one way to do this, which we will get into next! However, one of the main things you should do is consider a tile roof for the conservatory. Conservatories with a polycarbonate roof feel like a greenhouse, as the roof almost acts like a microscope for the heat. So, when you replace this with a tiled roof, you’re removing that extreme heat that comes through the roof. Also, they come with insulation, so less cold air enters in the winter, and more warm air is retained. This helps to keep the space warmer during the winter!
The benefits of tile roofs are endless in general, particularly from an energy efficiency perspective, but in this case, temperature control is vast, which will massively benefit your exotic plants. There are also many types of tile roofs that you can choose that will suit your interior design.
Focus On The Light
Another critical component when designing your exotic plant growth conservatory is focusing on the light. Most tropical plants like a medium amount of light, so not being in direct sunlight, but still getting light for most of the day. Tiling your conservatory roof will help with this, but something else you can do is get blinds for the windows.
Not only will they look lovely, you’ll get more privacy if your garden is overlooked, and it helps with temperature regulation, but there are many different types of blinds, like voile blinds or vertical blinds, so you can let in as much light as you want.
Adjust Water Volume
With the fluctuating temperature in a conservatory, no matter how well insulated it is, you’ll need to adjust how much you’re watering your plants throughout the year. Typically, exotic plants will need more water, as they’re not used to the climate, unlike native plants, which are less high maintenance. This being said, you can usually follow some patterns to help ensure you’re looking after your plants properly.
Watering two to three times a week in the summer and every one to two weeks in the winter is a good rule of thumb, but keep an eye on the soil moisture, as certain plants may need more or less than this. Exotic plants also thrive in humid environments, so you may need to consider a humidifier in the winter, or simply spraying the leaves often may be enough. Ensure you don’t spray the leaves if plants are in direct sunlight, as this can roast them.
Potting
When potting your plants, you want them to look pretty in lovely pots. However, you do need to think through the actual potting process! The main thing is to ensure that your plants have enough space, so if the roots are straining against the sides or stop growing, you’ll need to report. Each time you report, it should be at least 3 cm larger as this will give them enough space to develop.
You also need to ensure you get the soil right, as you want plenty of drainage, especially in the winter months when your exotic plants can get quite bogged down. Adding a layer of gravel at the bottom of the pot, followed by a 50/50 mix of perlite and potting soil, will provide a healthy environment for your exotic plants and wildflowers.
Fertiliser
As exotic plants aren’t used to the weather conditions, fertilizer can help support your plant and keep it strong. You can get specialist tropical fertilizers that are specifically designed for exotic plants. Make sure to follow the instructions so that you don’t hinder the growth process. It would be best to fertilize around once a month to achieve the best-looking exotic plants.
If you have any concrete and high-maintenance exotic plants, you may need to be slightly more careful and get specific fertilizer and potentially particular soil. However, when you buy the plants, the provider would outline this. Fertiliser isn’t essential, but it will help your plants to thrive and look their best.
Final Thoughts
Having exotic plants in your conservatory is lovely, as it brightens the space and becomes a bit of a wholesome hobby looking after them! Bringing the outdoors indoors is also very beneficial for your mental and physical health, as it can increase productivity, boost your mood, and reduce stress.
You need to control the heat, light, and water to optimize the growth of the exotic plants in your conservatory. Controlling these elements in your conservatory is very important, as well as supporting the plants with the right potting and fertilizers to maximize their growth potential.