Prepping your Houseplants for Spring

The birds are starting to chirp, the days are getting longer, the trees are starting to bloom, which can only mean one thing—spring is finally here! We’re officially entering the growing season and soon your indoor plants will start exploding with new growth. Here are a few tips to help get your indoor plants ready for the growing season ahead, and getting the most healthy growth out of this season.

Variegated pinnatum putting out two new leaves while growing on the Zella trellis

Start wiping down your leaves

If you haven't already incorporated this into your plant chore routine, now is the time to grab a microfiber cloth and gently wipe down the fronts and backs of your leaves. Warm water and a few drops of castile soap should do the trick. Indoor plants tend to accumulate dust, like everything else in a house, and removing that dust will help optimize photosynthesis. It also will help deter pests like spider mites.

If you want to learn more about common pests on indoor plants, read here.

Keep an eye out for pests

While you're cleaning your foliage, keep an eye out for little bugs—houseplant pests. With the warmer weather creeping up, pests love to make an appearance and damage our beautiful plants. especially active growth. Common signs to look for: new growth that's coming in funky, an abnormal amount of yellowing leaves, or if a plant seems to have taken an unexpected downhill turn.

Philodendron leaf with a bad spidermite outbreak

Start fertilizing

Many people tend to stop fertilizing in the winter months. I usually recommend continuing to fertilize as long as you see active growth. But, if you stopped, now is the time to give them a good feed. Slow release fertilizer is the best ‘set it and forget it' method since you can sprinkle it into the soil and they usually last up to 6 months. For a more hands on approach, use liquid fertilizer. Make sure to water the fertilizer down a bit to help prevent your plants from burning. 

Keep an eye on watering

With all your indoor plants waking up from winter dormancy and sunlight hours increasing, naturally, your houseplants will start growing more. An active growing house plant will definitely need more, so now is the time to increase water frequency gradually. Active, growing house plants usually tend to be more thirsty. And with the right watering schedule and proper support that new growth will come in nice and big.

Repotting and trellising your houseplants into a new pot

If you like to hold off on repotting your houseplants during the winter, now is a great time to repot your houseplants in fresh soil and a new pot. Using a new pot is important as it provides more space for the roots to grow, especially if the plant has become rootbound. Additionally, ensure you use fresh potting mix during repotting to ensure optimal plant health. Keep in mind to always upsize your planters in increments of twos. If they’re in a 4 inch planter, move up to a 6 inch planter. You want the plant roots to have room to grow but not be overwhelmed with too much space. When repotting your houseplant, make sure the planter has drainage holes, to avoid overwatering, and finish off with slow release fertilizer for extra nutrients.

Another great way to get your potted plants ready for spring, is to add support and trellis them up. Trellising your houseplants helps them feel secure and gives them the chance to grow big leaves. Especially for climbing houseplants like Monsteras and Philodendrons. I recommend the Zella trellis for houseplants with thicker stems, of the Palmella trellis for long vining houseplants like Pothos. This also helps you save space, giving you more room for new plants. Simple plant math.

Silver satin pothos growing a the BARE Palmella trellis by Treleaf

Hopefully these tips will help prep your plants for spring. All that’s left, is to sit back and enjoy your thriving, happy houseplants. Happy spring!