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 plants will start exploding with new growth. Here are a few tips to help get your plants ready for spring, and getting the most growth out of this season.

1. 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. 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.
2. Keep an eye out for pests- While you’re cleaning your foliage, keep an eye out for the little bugs—houseplant pests. With the warmer weather creeping up, pests love to make an appearance and damage our beautiful plants. 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.
3. Start fertilizing- Many people tend to stop fertilizing in the winter time. I usually recommend continuing to fertilize as long as you see new 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. 
4. Keep an eye on watering- With all your plants growing more you may need to start watering more often. Active, growing plants usually tend to be more thirsty. And with the right watering schedule, that new growth will come in nice and big.