Climate, light & humidity
London sits in the warmest, sunniest corner of Britain, and the urban heat island keeps the city a degree or two warmer than its surroundings, especially at night. Winters are mild by UK standards, but between November and March the daily light at a window still falls below 3 mol/m²/day, and in narrow streets or lower-floor flats overshadowed by neighbouring buildings it falls further. Summers bring the opposite problem: top-floor flats and south-facing new builds can exceed 30°C, scorching thin leaves pressed against glass. Indoors, central heating and sealed modern flats push winter humidity down to 30–40%, well below the 55–70% most aroids prefer. Our winter care guide covers grow lights and radiator placement in detail.
Watering on hard water
Thames water at 250–320 mg/L CaCO₃ carries a heavy load of calcium bicarbonate. Used every week, it gradually raises substrate pH towards 7.5, locking out iron and manganese and producing pale new leaves, and it leaves white limescale spots on the velvet leaves of Anthurium when misted. Calathea, Maranta and ferns react with browning edges.
For sensitive plants, use rainwater collected from a clean roof or balcony, discarding the first flush after a dry spell. A filter jug with an ion-exchange cartridge removes much of the temporary hardness. Mixing tap water half and half with reverse-osmosis or distilled water brings it down to roughly 125–160 mg/L. Boiling removes only part of the hardness, and never use water from an ion-exchange water softener, which swaps calcium for sodium. Flush pots through with rainwater every month or so to clear accumulated salts. Robust plants such as Monstera, Philodendron and Epipremnum cope with tap water perfectly well.
Homes & growing conditions
London's housing stock shapes what grows where. Victorian and Edwardian terraces, often split into flats, have tall sash windows and bay fronts that give excellent light but leak heat and cold; plants on the sill see big night-time temperature drops. Basement and lower-ground flats rely on lightwells and often deliver less than 50 µmol/m²/s a metre from the window, territory for Aglaonema, Zamioculcas and Epipremnum or a grow light. Post-war blocks vary widely. New-build flats with floor-to-ceiling glazing offer superb light but mechanical ventilation that keeps the air dry, so collectors of Anthurium and Alocasia there usually need a humidifier. Our light finder estimates PPFD at each window and distance.
Trade supply for local stockists
London and the South East have one of the densest networks of independent plant shops in the country, and most of them field customers' questions about hard water and root rot every day. We supply stockists with retail-ready, barcoded 2.5L and 5L pouches of our genus-specific mixes, 25L sacks for in-store repotting bars, and shelf talkers explaining which mix suits which plant. Trade terms start at a £150 ex-VAT opening order and £100 reorders, with carriage paid over £250 ex-VAT and a 45–50% stockist margin at our recommended retail prices. Trade orders usually reach London within one to two working days. Model your range with the trade margin planner or read our trade terms.
Office & hospitality planting
We plan and supply biophilic plant schemes for offices, studios, cafés and hotels, specifying plants for the real light levels and air-conditioned dryness of London workspaces rather than the brochure. Low-light, tolerant genera such as Aglaonema, Epipremnum and Zamioculcas anchor interior desks; larger specimens go where windows allow. Displays are priced from £5.50 a month per desk plant, £15 for medium floor displays and £22 for architectural specimens, and maintenance contracts start at £125 a month with fortnightly technician visits, peat-free substrate care, biological pest control and free replacement. Get a first figure from the scheme estimator, and ask about technician coverage for your postcode through commercial planting.