It is difficult (and would probably be uncomfortable
for you) to try to modify the temperature of your home to meet the
needs of your plants. Instead, it is best to choose the plants that
naturally survive in the environment that your home can offer.
It
may be tough to grow plants like begonias, primroses, and geraniums
indoors. They grow best in cool temperatures (between 50 and 60 degrees
F). If you have a patio that is cooler, this could be a good spot for
plants like these.
Plants like the African Violet do best in warmer, room temperatures of 70-80 degrees F.
To
save energy, the temperature in most homes drops significantly at
night. Your plants can probably handle this drop without a problem,
unless it is exceptionally extreme. You would probably not be
comfortable if it were that cold, though. Plants are used to a drop of
about 10-15 degrees at night, since this happens in the wild when the
sun goes down. If the drop is 25-30 degrees in your house, you should
protect the plants with a newspaper or burlap tent until it warms up in
the morning.
It is important that you make sure your windows are
well insulated. If not, the temperature right by the window will too
cold for the plants if it is cold outside. It is also possible for
drafts to leak through. Be sure to move plants away from the windows at
night if there is poor insulation.
Overheating can be a problem
as well. In the winter, the air is typically quite dry. When you heat
your home, it takes even more humidity out of the air. Moisture is
extremely important to plants, so the low humidity can be harmful.
Plants get water from the air, similarly to how they take it in from
the roots. This is often overlooked.
You can compensate for the
dry air by buying a humidifier for your home to add moisture. If you
would rather choose a cheaper option, you can attach evaporating pans
to the radiators. Make sure you keep the pans filled with water.
In
addition to either of these two options, it is good to spray the
foliage with water a couple times per week. This will give the foliage
the moisture that the lack of humidity takes away. Also, it will clean
the dust off of the leaves, and keep insects away, even with easy to care for house plants
it's a good idea to keep moisture around them. If your plants have
hairy leaves, you should not spray them because they will get white
spots and be more likely to decay.
As long as you care for your
plants in a reasonable manner, they should be able to adapt to changes
in the environment of your home.