Spring Houseplant Care

Pathos houseplant

Spring is an important time for houseplants, it's the beginning of their active growing season.

Most houseplants go into a dormant state in the winter, where their growth slows or stops all together.

In the spring, they start to wake up from their winter rest. This is the perfect time to give them some extra attention.  

Here are some tips for spring houseplant care...

• It's time for spring cleaning, and your houseplants are no exception. Dust settles on the foliage of houseplants just like it does on furniture. Cleaning the foliage helps the plants look better and stay healthy. Rinse the foliage with a gentle spray either from the garden hose or in the sink or shower (don't rinse hairy-surfaced plants).

• Spring is the best time to repot houseplants. Repotting a houseplant will stimulate new growth and give the plant plenty of room to grow. But don't just automatically repot your houseplants every spring, only repot plants that need it. If you don't know how to tell when a plant needs to be repotted, read this post... Tips for Repotting Houseplants.

Pot bound houseplant

• Many houseplants benefit from being outside during the summer. Houseplants should be slowly acclimated to the outdoors to avoid sun and wind damage. Don't leave them out overnight until the nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50F.

• Houseplants don't need as much water during the winter as they do in their active growing period. Begin watering more frequently in the spring to help wake up your houseplants and stimulate new growth. Now is also a good time to add slow release fertilizer granules to your houseplants. If you use a liquid fertilizer, start with a weak dose, and slowly increase it to full strength by summer. 

Granular and liquid fertilizers

• April showers bring May flowers, and those showers also benefit our houseplants. Rain water is the best type of water to use on potted plants. If you don't own a rain barrel, I highly recommend getting one. There are many benefits of rain barrels, and using the water for your houseplants is one of them.

• Over the winter, some of your houseplants may have developed weak and leggy growth. Trim back houseplants now to remove weak growth, and encourage new growth. Spring is also a great time to propagate your houseplants by rooting the cuttings or dividing the root ball.

• Give them some air. On warm spring days, open the windows near your houseplants to give them some fresh air and humidity. 

Giving your houseplants a little extra TLC in the spring helps them look their best. So kick off their active growing season right this spring. Your houseplants will thank you for it.

Various houseplants