My Spring Plant Routine in 6 Steps
One of the amazing things about nature is that it will always let you know when the seasons change. When springtime rolls around, your plants may pop out more new foliage than you’ve seen any other time of the year. That is also their way of letting you know it’s time to start giving them a little more TLC. After winter, whether a brutal one or not, most plants will need help to recover from the cold season. Here is my tried and true routine that always helps my plants bounce back to their natural beauty.
1. Repot
First and foremost, I need to repot plants that don’t like to be root-bound or that are simply outgrowing their current pot. This season, I also just wanted to get rid of all the plastic pots in my home. When repotting, use a pot that is no more than an inch larger than the current pot. This will allow the roots to grow comfortably and not put the plant into shock too much. Tip: Use pearlite in the pot mix to reduce soil compaction.
2. Water weekly
Spring is the season that I stick to a regular watering routine. Plants use up water much more quickly in the spring, so I like to make sure the soil doesn’t get dry. I only (yes, only) have 28 plants, but my water days typically take about 2 hours. Only because I like to gather them all up at the kitchen sink to make sure they get a thorough watering. When time doesn’t permit, I use my watering can to water them in place.
3. Fertilize monthly
Since it is growing season, I make sure that I try to encourage the growth with fertilizer. I use the Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food in the pump version that can be applied directly to the soil. This way, I don’t over-fertilize which can cause leaves to burn. I haven’t had any issues with this version of Miracle-Gro and it seems to significantly help my plants grow. I eventually want to transition into organic gardening using only organic products. I tried out Joyful Dirt which has not been bad and I have seen quite a bit more growth with this organic fertilizer.
4. Mist daily
Indoor plants need humidity so I mist my plants daily as most of them are tropical plants. Tropical plants need tropical environments so I make sure to mist my plants to help them thrive. I found a simple mister from Target in the dollar section. Another way to produce humidity is to group plants together. As plants go through a process called transpiration they release moisture into the air. When grouped together, this causes quite the humid situation they need.
5. Wipe down leaves
In spring, I like to open my windows and let fresh air in, but it also brings in dust from outside. I wipe down and clean leaves at least every 2 weeks. Doing this also allows light to enter the leaves without any blockage so that they absorb water and go through photosynthesis appropriately.
6. Rearrange accordingly
Since the days are longer again, I rearrange my plants so that they can receive the best indirect light. I only have windows facing west and east, so I try to put as many plants as I can along my west windows to maximize light intake.
