Love spending time outdoors but don’t want to deal with the bad weather, cooler temps, and endless bugs and insects? If so, then why not bring the outside inside by constructing a seasonal sunroom.
Seasonal sunrooms are also known as three-season sunrooms, as they’re designed to be enjoyed during the spring, summer, and fall seasons of the year. Due to a lack of insulation and how they’re built, they’re typically too chilly to enjoy in the winter. Of course, four-season sunrooms are also possible. They offer greater insulation and heating options, making for a comfortable experience all year long.
No matter the specific design of your sunroom, if you really want to make it homely, comfortable, and welcoming, there are plenty of accessories you can add. Plants and foliage in particular, are especially popular.
Because sunrooms are supposed to invoke feelings of being outdoors, a lot of people choose to fit theirs out with indoor plants and flowers. These not only look great, but they can also improve the air quality and really lift the overall ambience of your sunroom. Unfortunately, they do require care and attention, and they are prone to pests.
Here are several seasonal sunroom plant care and pest prevention tips.
Select the Correct Plants
One of the most exciting parts of owning a new seasonal sunroom is adding all the finishing touches and giving it a more homely and inviting feel.
Some people do this through the inclusion of cushions, wall art, blankets, and throws, whereas others do this through indoor plants and flowers. If this sounds like you, it’s important to select the right ones.
While some plants are ideally suited in a sunroom, others struggle indoors and prefer to be outside. Obviously the latter would be no good for a sunroom. This is why it’s essential to select the correct foliage.
Tropical plants are great in sunrooms because they enjoy warm temperatures and sunlight. Sunrooms are designed to provide warmth through their use of extra panes of glass, which amplifies the rays from the sun. Snake plants and ferns are great choices, and they really look the part too.
You can also opt for hardier plants such as orchids and peace lilies, which don’t require too much maintenance.
Build a Sunroom Herb Garden
If you’re looking for greenery that is perhaps a little more practical, how about an indoor herb garden right in your sunroom? All you’ll need is a decorative planter or two, some good quality compost, and the herbs which you wish to grow.
Some people choose to grow from seed, but to make life even easier why not buy a small herb plant from the grocery store, use the herbs as needed, and then plant the herb when you’re finished. Once the roots take, it’ll be thriving in no time.
Herbs such as rosemary, basil, mint, sage, and thyme all work great in sunrooms, and don’t require much maintenance. Give them enough water, don’t let them get too hot, and you’re all set.
Use Sunlight Wisely
One of the most common mistakes that people make when growing plants and flowers in a sunroom, is assuming that no matter where they’re placed, they’re going to get plenty of sunlight. That is simply not true.
Different plants require different amounts of sunlight. Some need heaps, and some prefer shade. Throughout the day, make a note of which parts of your sunroom get the most direct sunlight, and place your chosen plants and flowers there accordingly.
Also, be aware of items of furniture which could block off the sun as it moves in the sky. Just because a part of the room is bright and sunny first thing, doesn’t mean it will still be bright and sunny several hours later.
Manage Humidity
Like us, plants and flowers require water. Even cacti need water now and then. Because of that, if you wish to keep them in a sunroom, you need to accept the fact that your sunroom is going to be prone to bouts of humidity.
Now, humidity is not necessarily a bad thing, in fact, some plants, especially tropical ones, absolutely thrive upon it. The main downside here, though, is the fact that garden pests also thrive in these conditions. Warm, damp, and humid air is not only a recipe for damp and mold, it can also attract pests such as midges, whitefly, spider mites, and more besides.
Unless you’re growing plants that specifically require humidity, try to water your plants outside, or from the bottom up. You can also provide plenty of ventilation to prevent mold, mildew, or condensation.
Keep New Plants in Quarantine
As exciting as buying new plants for your sunroom can be, if you do buy any new plants, make sure you place them into “quarantine” and keep them somewhere isolated, away from your sunroom and all the other plants in there.
The reason why you want to keep them separate is to ensure that, should your new plants be harboring any bugs, insects, or pests, they won't have chance to infest your other plants and begin breeding.
Before you place any new plants into your sunroom, make sure you inspect them, including the pots, stems, and undersides of the leaves. Look for any signs of pests, or even hidden pests such as slugs or snails, which may be hiding out of sight. You may even wish to give them a rinse with clean, fresh water to wash away any bugs or insects that may be hiding in amongst the foliage.
Maintain the Right Temperature
In order to keep your plants fit and healthy, it’s important to maintain the right temperature whenever possible. Most indoor plants enjoy temps of around 65F – 75F, so use that as a guide.
If it gets too hot in the summer, if AC isn’t an option, use blinds, shades, and fans. In the colder seasons, you may need a small portable heater, or insulated curtains.
Water Regularly
To keep sunroom plants as healthy as possible, make sure you set up a watering routine, and stick to it. Don’t let the soil get too wet, or too dry, and be aware that during the summer, the soil is going to dry out quicker, so you’ll need to be watering more often.
