Getting Your Houseplants Ready For Spring
Give your plants a little wake up call.
They’ve been in a sort of hibernation for months due to the shorter sunlit days and the cooler weather – and now it’s time to start growing and blooming, again.
Some houseplants, like alocasias go into a dormancy which causes the plant to slow down its growing process in order to store the necessary energy to survive the winter. Even though they’re cozy in the home with you.
Houseplants – even though are inside, still feel the effects of the season change. I’m going to help you get your houseplants ready for spring so they can go into this year’s growing season prepared for action.
Wipe Down Leaves
If you neglected your plants a little bit during the winter, you may notice some dust buildup on the foliage.
Spring is the season for your houseplants to shine, and in order for them to grow they need to be able to photosynthesize. When your plants leaves are dusty and covered in debris, it blocks out the sunlight that it’s been desperate for all winter long.
When you notice some dusty leaves take a soft cloth, like microfiber and wet it down with cool water. You can also add water into a spray bottle with a drop (or two) of neem oil, which will get your plants sparkling.
Not literally, but you get the idea.
Prune Leaves And Stems
Bust those scissors because it’s time to get snipping.
Spring is one of my favorite times because it’s time to chop and prop(agate). All winter some plants can start producing leggy stems and tiny leaves, due to its lack of sunlight and energy storage.
Cutting back these stems and leaves will not only help promote growth, but it will allow you to create brand new cuttings that will eventually become full plants.
Giving your plants a little haircut can also help make them look fuller/bushier. When you have runners coming off your plant or stems that have lost a few leaves it can make the plant look unkempt.
Amp Up Watering And Fertilizing
Winter is a time when you can take a little breather from constant houseplant care since plants don’t need much watering or fertilizing in the fall and winter months.
To get your houseplants ready for spring you need to start back up those habits of checking your plants water levels every week starting in March/April.
Getting a moisture meter can be a fool proof way to know whether your houseplant needs water or not. Also making a note every time you fertilize will help take the guessing game out of when to feed your plants.
Be careful not to shock your plants awake with fertilizing, too much too soon can burn sensitive plants. A good way to ease your plants into fertilizing is start with a more diluted dose and then gradually get to a higher and higher amount until you reach the appropriate amount, with each watering. Usually by June you should be fertilizing without diluting. Depending on the type of plant you’ll need to fertilize every 2-4 weeks in March/April.
Move Your Plants
In the fall/winter we move our plants closer to the windows to give them as much of the sunlight as we can. But in the spring, you’ll need to move them away just a few inches-feet to make sure that that stronger sun won’t burn the leaves.
You’ll also want to make sure you’re not placing plants that can be under an air conditioner, they won’t like that.
If you brought your plants inside for the colder weather months and want to put them back outside, make sure you’re sure that the temperatures outside aren’t going to drop under 60 degrees. Plants that have been inside for months will be used to your warm temperature-controlled environment, so bring them outside gradually.
Time To Repot
When you’re getting your houseplants ready for spring, this time is the best to not only plant plants, but to repot them too.
Any plant that’s starting to pop roots out of the drainage hole or over the top is a good sign that that plant needs repotting. Another sign is stunted growth for a long period of time. Now this may be hard to spot right off but if your plant has done nothing and it’s summer, I’d just check on the roots to make sure its not root bound.
Houseplants are actively growing new roots more rapidly in the growing season, so repotting them will not only give them the room they may need to get bigger, but also will adjust to the new soil and pot better.
Preparing For Pests
The spring means growth and happy plants again, but it also means the pests are coming back in full force.
Getting ahead of a pest outbreak is the best prevention. Using mosquito bits or hydrogen peroxide in the water every month can kill any larvae or eggs from pests like fungus gnats or thrips.
You can also add systemic powder to your soil which after you water will cause the plants to absorb the treatment. Any pest that bites a leaf that’s been treated with this will die.
Spring Has Sprung
This is the time of year all plant parents look forward to. Our plants have looked kind of blah all winter long, so it’s time to see some new growth and even some blooming.
There are a few things you’ll want to do to make the most of this coming growing season, but if you follow these tips getting your houseplants ready for spring you should have a smooth transition between seasons.
Happy growing!
