- Approximately 8 weeks before the last anticipated spring frost, begin fertilizing indoor plants. For instance, in Pennsylvania, where I currently reside, the risk of spring frost usually disappears by May 15. Thus, I start fertilizing my indoor plants around the middle of March. The days start to get visibly longer at this time, and indoor plants transition from dormant to active growth.
- Half the suggested strength should be used for the first three fertilizer applications. Use half of the recommended amount if the product is granular. If it’s a liquid fertilizer for indoor plants, dilute it by half (more on these two types of fertilizers in a bit). This feeds houseplants at a time when they are just beginning to grow actively and don’t yet need more nutrients to support rapid growth.
Which month should indoor plants be fertilized?
You are aware that indoor plants require water and sunlight, but what about fertilizer? Fertilizing indoor plants during the growing season can provide them the nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) they require to thrive (K).
Similar to learning how to repot a plant, feeding your houseplants can seem intimidating at first. However, after you master the fundamentals, you’ll wonder how your plants ever survived without it. The numerous types of fertilizer available, what fertilizer is (hint: it’s not plant food), and how and when to fertilize houseplants are all covered in the sections below.
What is fertilizer?
First and foremost, plants do not eat fertilizer. Photosynthesis is the process through which plants produce their sustenance while utilizing sunlight. Fertilizer promotes fresh, healthy growth in a similar manner to a multivitamin. Additionally, it can be utilized to replenish the vital minerals that our plants’ potting soil loses as they mature. The main ingredients, or macronutrients, in fertilizers are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), which we will discuss in more detail later. Fertilizers can also contain a variety of other nutrients.
When should I fertilize my houseplants?
like excessive amounts of light or water Your plants may suffer if you use too much fertilizer. During the growing season, which runs from early spring to late summer, we advise fertilizing indoor plants moderately. Plants will gain the most from new nutrients at this period, while they are actively growing. Depending on the fertilizer you’re using, you can typically fertilize your plants monthly or every other week. Read the label carefully because each brand may have a different suggestion for dilution and timing.
Fertilizer will not help newly potted or repotted plants. They haven’t even begun to use all the nutrients in their fresh potting mix! Wait 23 months after a fresh repotting before fertilizing actively growing plants during the growing season to prevent potentially harming recently replanted plants. You can postpone fertilizing until the following growing season if you potted during the autumn and winter.
Because of their decreased metabolic activity, plants in low-light conditions don’t require fertilizer. They don’t consume nutrients as efficiently as individuals who are in brighter light.
What do the numbers on fertilizer mean?
Three of the approximately 17 necessary plant nutrients are prominently featured on the front of the majority of fertilizers. The N-P-K ratio is represented by the three numbers you see: N stands for nitrogen, P for phosphorus, and K for potassium. The main macronutrients that your plant requires are these.
A fertilizer label can include an N-P-K ratio that looks like 10-5-8. Higher ratio fertilizers are more concentrated than lower ratio fertilizers. Do not assume that a fertilizer with greater numbers is superior than one with fewer numbers just because it has higher numbers. It just needs more water to be diluted with because it is more concentrated.
Micronutrients could be included in your fertilizer, making it a complete fertilizer. These can contain things like chlorine, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, boron, and molybdenum. Each micronutrient plays a part in the cellular, enzymatic, and developmental processes of plants, but they are not as essential as the NPK macronutrients. Your fertilizer’s micronutrient content will probably be listed on the back of the container.
For your indoor plants, you can use any all-balanced fertilizer (for instance, 5-5-5) or one with a ratio that fits the goal you want to achieve. In order to stimulate leaf production, for instance, a fertilizer with a higher nitrogen to phosphorous ratio is best, whereas a higher phosphorous to nitrogen ratio aids in promoting fruiting and blooming.
Is solid or liquid fertilizer better?
There are various types of fertilizers. It is mainly a matter of preference when selecting the type of fertilizer to use. Both give the vital nutrients that plants require, yet they each have advantages and disadvantages.
The two types of fertilizers used most frequently for indoor plants are liquid and powder. They may also be the most economical depending on how concentrated they are, or how high their N-P-K ratio is. Fertilizers in liquid and powder form are also simple to use and diluted in water. You can also immediately add a variety of powder fertilizers to the potting soil.
Perhaps less frequently used for houseplants are solid fertilizers, sometimes known as dry or granular fertilizers. Because some granular fertilizers (fertilizer pellets) release nutrients over time, you run the risk of overfertilizing a plant or fertilizing it when it is dormant or growing slowly because of poor light.
Is chemical or organic fertilizer better?
Another option is selecting between synthetic fertilizers, commonly known as chemical fertilizers, and organic fertilizers. The macro and micro nutrients in synthetic fertilizers are typically more precisely balanced and concentrated. They might be more affordable, particularly if you buy them in liquid form to dilute. With less, you can obtain the same amount of nutrients.
Organic fertilizers are typically less concentrated because they are created from all-natural components, such as reprocessed food waste. However, mild is a benefit, not a drawback, of houseplant fertilizer. Although it can be slightly more expensive than other forms, organic fertilizer is a safe, chemical-free choice. Choosing an organic fertilizer may be the finest option if you have pets who share your space.
Chemical and organic fertilizers both supply nitrates, potassium ions, and phosphates to plants, but in different ways. It strikes a balance between your personal preferences and those of your plants.
Quick Tips for Fertilizing Houseplants
First tip: Since plants begin to actively grow in the spring, it is the optimal time to begin fertilizing them. Fast-growing plants should get fertilizer more frequently than slower-growing or dormant plants, such as cacti (i.e., most plants in winter.)
Second tip: Dilute your fertilizer. Less fertilization is preferable to more fertilization. If the potting mix is deficient in nutrients and you haven’t fertilized in about a year, you can improve the efficacy of the fertilizer by diluting it with less water.
3. Plants that produce fruits or flowers over their lifetimes will need extra fertilizer. Picking off fruits or flowers depletes them of their nutrients, which we should replenish.
Know your N, P, and K values. The ratio of macronutrients that should be present in your fertilizer is the one that your plant requires. It resembles the numbers 10-8-10. Find another fertilizer if this isn’t stated on the package.
5. Plants only require a smaller amount of micronutrients than they do of macronutrients, notwithstanding their importance. Micronutrients are typically present in fertilizers, however they aren’t usually highlighted on the front of the fertilizer container.
How should indoor plants be cared for in the spring?
One of the ideal seasons for your indoor plants is spring.
Plants seem to reanimate before our eyes when the growth season begins. They anticipate longer days and higher temperatures just like us.
Use the top springtime plant care advice listed below to step up your routine this season and watch your indoor plants flourish.
Tip 1: Water More Frequently
More sunlight is one of our favorite benefits of spring. The longer days of spring, along with warmer temperatures, may affect how frequently your plants need watering because plants absorb water dependent on the quantity of light they receive.
Increase water frequency gradually to avoid potentially overwatering your plants as the seasons change. Throughout this period of transition, check on your plants frequently. Water more often if you see wilting or leaf curling together with dry potting soil. Water sparingly if the potting mix is still damp after two days or more. If your plant receives full sun and you water it every other day or every other day, adding rocks to the top of the soil or relocating the plant to an area with bright but indirect light will help the soil retain moisture better.
The optimal time to water in the spring and summer is in the early morning or early evening when temperatures are cooler and water evaporation is less likely.
Tip 2: Pull Back On Sunlight
Your indoor plants were presumably placed as close to the window as possible throughout the winter to optimize light. Because the light is stronger and the days are longer now, you might want to move certain plants farther away from the window or draw a sheer curtain to disperse the sun’s rays to prevent leaf scorching.
Uncertain whether the sun is too strong? It would be called direct sunlight if you were to gaze out from the plant’s point of view and saw the sun directly overhead. When a plant looks up towards the sky, it emits ambient light without seeing the sun directly. Direct sunlight locations can become indirect and become significantly shadier due to overcast and barriers.
The act of reducing light should be gradual, just like increasing how often you water your plants. Some plants may not require moving because they grow well in direct sunlight (consider succulents and cactus) or because objects outside your window block bright sunlight. During this time, make sure to check on your houseplants frequently so you may make improvements as you go.
Tip 3: Be Mindful of Temperature
The majority of houseplants enjoy temperatures between 65 and 85 °F, with 75 °F being the ideal range. Indoor plants, accustomed to a degree or two of stability, might get stressed by even the slightest temperature fluctuation or draft of cold or warm air. Keep your plants away from open windows, doors, and air conditioners, especially at night when the temperature is still cool. Consider hanging planters that can securely float above the A/C unit if it is in your window, or build a DIY shelf to elevate potted plants if it is.
Tip 4: Prune Lackluster Foliage
Spring-clean your indoor plants a little. Your plants get their nutrients back after being pruned to make way for fresh, healthy growth. Additionally, it can get rid of disease hosts. Additionally, certain plants gain from routine pruning since it keeps their shape full and bushy.
Tip 5: Dust Off Leaves
Dusting your plants’ leaves is another technique to give them a spring cleaning. Plants act as a dust cling due to their static charge. The reason some plants become so dusty is because they are actively eliminating actual dust particles from the air around them!
But over time, these dust particles can accumulate on your plants’ surfaces and clog their stomata, or pores. These minuscule pores are essential for numerous processes carried out by plants. They permit the passage of oxygen during respiration, carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, and water vapor during transpiration. These crucial gas exchanges can’t take place as well as they should when they’re clogged with dust. Simply wipe the leaves of your plants with a clean, damp cloth or lightly dust them to eliminate any buildup to keep them healthy and happy.
Tip 6: Repot Your Plants
Repotting is usually necessary every 12 to 18 months, and spring is one of the finest times to perform it in order to provide plants new nutrients and/or more room for the coming growing season. Unless the plant has outgrown its existing container and requires more space, repotting simply involves changing the soil or potting mix to provide the plant with new nutrients so it can continue to thrive.
Tip 7: Consider Fertilizing
Although fertilizing indoor plants is one of those plant care procedures that is sometimes forgotten, it can be good for the long-term health of your plant. Because plants produce their own food using light during photosynthesis, fertilizer is not food for your plants. Consider fertilizer more along the lines of a multivitamin. As a plant actively grows, it depletes vital nutrients from the potting soil, which are replaced by this substance.
Use fertilizer sparingly, and never on newly formed soil. The new potting mix won’t require any more fertilizer if you’ve chosen to repot your plant in the spring.
Tip 8: Move Plants Outside
You can start preparing your indoor plants now if you intend to take them outside in the next warmer months. When the temperature is constantly above 65F, especially at night, it is a good idea to get them out of the house.
The weather outside can be erratic. Plants tend to dry out more quickly when light and temperature increase. To prevent leaf scorch and dryness, move them to a shaded spot and water them in the early morning and at night. Refrain from watering if it hasn’t rained in a couple of days, and of course, make sure your outside pots have drainage to prevent overwatering.
In March, should I fertilize my plants?
Do you ever question if you’re fertilizing your plants with the proper substance and at the proper time? Any confusion may be clarified by reading excerpts from “A Month-by-Month Guide to Gardening in Napa County” by the UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
February: Apply fertilizer to lawns if the soil is workable (not waterlogged) and follow the instructions on the fertilizer’s label. When there is a lot of rain, some nutrients like nitrogen are washed out of the soil, and when the soil is colder, plants may have limited access to iron and phosphorus. Deciduous fruit plants benefit from fertilization right now. However, it is still too early to fertilize perennials and evergreen shrubs. It’s possible that the fertilizer will cause fragile new growth that could be harmed this month and into March.
March: Apply a full fertilizer, such as 16-6-8, to lawns. The letters (N), (P), and (K) stand for nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, respectively. Apply a full fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, to established shrubs and citrus trees later in March when active growth has started.
When should I begin springtime fertilization of my plants?
Plants raised in containers are similar to animals kept in cages because they are unable to “forage” and must entirely rely on us for food. Feed potted plants six weeks after potting or repotting because most compost only provides “starter” nutrients that are quickly depleted.
Depending on the growing environment, size, and rate of growth, different plants require different amounts of feed. Some individuals overeat, while others undereat. Overfeeding actually does more harm than good because if you apply a large amount of feed at once, the ensuing salty solution could actually pull moisture from the plant through a process called reverse osmosis.
Always heed the instructions of the feed source, but generally speaking, begin feeding in the spring, perhaps once every two weeks. When the weather is warmer and the plants are growing quickly, feed once a week; for heavy feeders or plants that are developing quickly in large containers, feed twice a week.
David Hurrion demonstrates how to identify nutrient deficits in plants in this No Fuss video guide so you can determine when to feed your plants:
David walks you through the various kinds of organic plant food here: