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I'm feeling so relieved to see some sunshine after the long, dark days of winter, and my houseplants have equally perked up. Even though they're growing indoors during the coldest season, winter can take its toll on indoor plants.A lack of natural light, dropping room temperatures, and a minimal growth are all challenges us plant parents have to tackle when caring for houseplants in winter, and it can be tiring.
But, now that spring is here, my houseplants are ready to thrive once again. To help them transition from winter to spring, I'm doing some essential maintenance to get them to the best possible state they can be and help them recover from any damage caused by winter conditions.With advice from experts, I've put together a list of spring houseplant care tasks all collectors should have on their radar this month.
I promise your houseplants will instantly look brighter as a result.(Image credit: brizmaker via Getty Images)5 essential spring houseplant care tasksWhether your indoor plants made it through winter happily or you found yourself making a winter houseplant care mistake, it's important to keep on top of some spring houseplant care to guarantee a successful active growth season.I do these five things each springtime for my houseplants, tidying them up after winter and preparing them for growth, and I watch them constantly push out new leaves during the spring months as a result.
Get these essentials on your to-do list:1. Remove cold-damaged foliage(Image credit: Irina Krolevets/Alamy Stock Photo)Don't beat yourself up if you find your houseplants have become a little damaged from the cold room temperatures of winter. It's a common occurrence, especially if you don't have many cold-tolerant houseplants.
I often find my houseplants more susceptible to the cold will have some discoloration in the winter months, especially my Chinese evergreen turning yellow. Of course, I try my best to employ methods to keep houseplants warm in winter, but it isn't always possible to do so, for example if you're away on winter vacation.This isn't anything to be too concerned about, so long as you take action to remove damaged foliage in early spring when the weather is warming up.
'This will give your plants an overall healthier appearance, and removing decaying plant matter can also help prevent common houseplant pests and diseases on your plants,' says Lotte Berendsen, houseplant expert from the PlantIn app.Doing this in spring will also encourage more growth, as your plant can turn its energy to producing new leaves.You can use essential pruning tools to do this, like these pruning shears from Amazon.
Take care not to remove more than a third of a plant at a time - a common pruning mistake that can shock your plant and stunt growth.2. Repot plants for more room(Image credit: Cavan Images / Cavan / Getty Images)Spring is the time the majority of houseplants start growing, so it's important to be prepared with more room.
Failing to provide houseplants with sufficient room as they grow larger can result in them becoming pot-bound, causing yellowing leaves, leaf drop, and more.To identify which of my houseplants need repotting, or up-potting, in spring, I assess the roots of each plant. I do this by gently lifting them from their current pot and seeing how much room their roots still have to grow.
'If roots are sticking out of the drainage holes, the plant needs to be up-potted, meaning it needs to be planted into the next bigger size pot,' advises Lisa Eldred Steinkopf, houseplant expert at The Houseplant Guru. 'Up-potting would also be necessary if you need to water your plant more often than usual or if it is out of proportion to the pot,' she adds.If it looks like the plant is soon going to outgrow its current container, I get my hands on a larger pot and pot it up.
I like to use houseplant containers with drainage holes to prevent my plant's roots becoming oversaturated, which can lead to houseplant root rot.There are slightly different techniques for repotting different plants - for example repotting a dragon tree is very different to repotting succulents - so it is important to research advice for the plants you're working with. However, for all plants you should take care not to damage any roots in the process.
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With a drainage hole and silicon plug, you're able to manage moisture levels easily. Tuscan Ceramic Green Planter This beautiful indoor planter brings a rustic, vintage feel to interiors. Ideal for small and medium houseplants, as well as displaying cut flowers.
3. Bring your houseplants outdoors for fresh air(Image credit: Chatchai Somwat via Alamy)This is something I look forward to do each year - moving houseplants outdoors to soak up some sun and enjoy fresh air.There are multiple plant health benefits to doing this and it allows your plants to breathe after being stuck indoors during cold, winter days.
A fresh flow of oxygen supports healthy growth and it allows extra exposure to sunlight than indoors.However, it isn't as simple as placing them outside in spring and leaving them there. You have to be careful with watching temperatures, especially with late frosts in early spring.
You might even find it's best to move your plants outdoors for a few hours and bring them back inside at night, helping them acclimatize.'Don’t just plop them out in the sun. Put them on the north side of the house or under a tree for a couple of weeks before moving them into the sun,' Lisa recommends.
'Some plants don’t want to be in the full sun, but in a place where they receive dappled sun or only morning sun,' she adds.Lisa is correct, not all houseplants will appreciate being in a sunny spot of the yard, especially if they're susceptible to leaf scorch.I familiarize myself with the growing requirements of each of my houseplants - light, temperature, and position - and then assess when in spring they can come outdoors and where they will be best suited.
Use this outdoor thermometer from Amazon to be extra careful when moving houseplants outdoors.4. Start regularly feeding your houseplants(Image credit: Kseniya Ovchinnikova / Moment / Getty Images)If you've read up on fertilizing mistakes, you'll know you should only feed your plants during their active growth season.
Feeding them at any other time can cause root burn and oversaturation.This means when spring comes along, I dig out my all-purpose houseplant fertilizer (like this one from Walmart). I like to use a liquid fertilizer and apply it when I water my houseplants, but there are a few options to consider when searching for the best fertilizer for houseplants.
'When using a liquid plant food, make sure you dilute it properly,' advises Lotte. 'I recommend diluting it to about half the recommended strength on the packaging to prevent root burn.'You can also opt for a slow-release fertilizer (from Amazon) instead, which gradually releases essential plant nutrients without the risk of burning the roots,' she adds.
Or, try using plant-specific fertilizers, like this monstera fertilizer from Amazon. Whichever plant food products you opt for, take note of manufacturer instructions to prevent damage to your plants.5.
Increase watering frequency (Image credit: Pixel-shot via Alamy Stock Photo)It can tricky to know how to water houseplants and when to water houseplants, especially if you're like me and grow many different types of plants, all with differing needs. However, as a general rule. an increase in temperature means you need to increase your watering frequency.
This is because houseplants tend to be dormant during colder season, not taking up as much water. When they start to grow again in spring, they need plenty of moisture to keep them hydrated and soak up nutrients.'Check the soil every few days and water when the soil feels dry to the touch.
Do not water when the soil still feels moist, because this can lead to overwatering,' advises Lotte.I ditched a rigid watering schedule long ago and as part of my attempt to be a better plant parent, I now always use this soil moisture meter from Amazon before watering my houseplants.It identifies the moisture level in your plant's soil, so you know exactly when it needs a top up and don't risk overwatering.
Of course, every plant has different watering needs and you have some thirsty houseplants and some that don't need watering often. Research the needs of your specific plants to understand how much moisture they need.FAQsIs spring the right time to propagate houseplants?Spring is an excellent time to propagate houseplants because it's the active growth season for the majority of plants.
The warmer temperatures and increased daylight will aid root development of cuttings.However, it is possible to propagate houseplants throughout the year. In the colder months, you may just need to use indoor growing systems like a heat mat and grow lights for houseplants to encourage success of the easiest houseplants to propagate in fall and winter.
If your houseplants are looking severely worse-for-wear after winter, you might find our guide to reviving houseplants from cold damage useful. It could even be worth propagating a healthy cutting from your houseplant to grow an entirely new one. Going forward, provide optimal houseplant care for successful growing.
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