- Polish windowsills are often used as a place for potted plants, mainly due to access to sunlight.
- However, direct sun and dry air from radiators can harm plants, causing yellowing of leaves and lack of flowering.
- Variable temperatures and drafts on the windowsill also negatively affect delicate flowers.
- Discover why some popular plants, such as orchids and hyacinths, should not be placed on the windowsill!
Why is putting potted flowers on the windowsill a bad idea?
For years, window sills in Polish homes have been treated as a shelf for plants. The main argument why this is done is access to sunlight. Plants need light to grow and flower. Without it, photosynthesis processes do not occur and most plants die. There is not always optimal access to sunlight at home. Hence the idea that the ideal place for plants would be a windowsill. Nothing could be further from the truth. Those standing on the windowsill actually have access to sunlight. However, it sometimes happens that plants do not require such bright light. In most cases, diffused rather than direct light will be optimal. Harsh sunlight can burn the leaves and turn the plant yellow.
In winter, when there is less sun, placing it on the windowsill is also not the best idea. In Polish construction, window sills are placed directly above radiators. During the heating season, this is where the driest air prevails. It is deadly to most plants that grow better in a humid microclimate. The windowsill is also the place where there is the greatest risk of drafts and variable temperatures. Opening windows or leaking seals may cause the flower to be exposed to constant temperature changes. On the one hand, it will be attacked by heated, dry air from radiators, and on the other hand, by cold, frosty wind coming through the windows.
It is definitely better to place plants in a room in a place where they have access to sunlight, but are not exposed to extreme conditions.
Do not place these plants on the windowsill:
- – orchids like moist air and diffused light. They do not tolerate dry air well and begin to turn yellow and stop blooming.
- – this plant does not tolerate excessive sunlight and likes moisture. Some people indicate that in winter, the Spathiphyllum can successfully stand in a bright bathroom.
- Ficus – this flower does not tolerate drafts and temperature changes very well.
- Begonias – delicate leaves of this plant do not like cold. At inappropriate temperatures, begonias begin to wither.
- – these are plants that need high humidity. Heated radiators can effectively kill house ferns.
